Golosemennye sea slug Glaucus atlanticus Bashny.Net

It is a small strange creature, so like a space alien, actually belongs to the class of gastropods. So, get acquainted: golosemennye sea slug Glaucus atlanticus is one of the most beautiful and rare sea creatures on Earth.

These breathtaking creatures do not catch the eye of people, except those days when the wind sends them into coastal waters, and sometimes even throw waves of blue dragons on a shore.









In their appearance they resemble small dragons. Glaucus atlanticus spend their entire lives just drifting with the tide up the abdomen on the water surface in search of food. To stay afloat mollusk help the air bubbles that he swallows and keeps himself in the stomach and the particular abdomen.

Sizes of gastropods just a tiny – only 2-3 centimeters in length. But sometimes you come across individuals reaching eight centimeters. But this is very rare. Protective color blue dragons also unusual: blue or blue belly hides them from the birds on top, hiding under the water, and white or silver grey backrest hiding from the fish below. Like many other mollusks, the Glaucus atlanticus is hermaphroditic.









After mating both dragon lay eggs. Usually an incubator for their future offspring be valelly (Andromeda) floating on the surface of the water and the blue dragon swims up to her and sticks from the bottom. Thus, the Medusa acts as a personal vehicle and passing a delicious lunch.

Despite its innocuous appearance, the blue dragons are dangerous predators. The mollusk feeds almost exclusively on coelenterates animals – siphonophorae, jellyfish, velella.

They live in temperate and tropical waters worldwide and are often caught on the coasts of Australia and the United States.

 




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