This gorgeous sea slug
Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 12:38 pm
This gorgeous sea slug (Glaucus atlanticus) preys on larger organisms such as the venomous Portuguese Man o’ War. The tiny sea slug, also know as blue dragon, ‘selects’ the most venomous cells of its victim for its own use, incorporating them into its tissue and using them to produce a more powerful—and deadly—sting than the Man o’ War.
This is Glaucus atlanticus, a sea slug found in tropical and temperate waters throughout the world.
However, no one ever mentions that this sea slug (like other sea slugs) is a total badass. Why, you ask? It eats incredibly venomous animals like the Portuguese Man o' War. The sting is agonizingly painful to a human and to most animals, but poses no problem to Glaucus atlanticus, which is immune. After the sea slug has consumed the Portuguese Man o' War it "selects" the most venomous cells for its own use. The slug then incorporates these cells into its own tissues, and uses them as a defense mechanism. It also concentrates the venom, making it far more venomous than the animal it "stole" the cells from.
via New Inventions, Modern Technology And Interesting Facts of 21st Century .
