#Blue Dragon Nudibranch

[beesgav]

nui!! I honestly have always adored her, but she’s got a pretty tricky design so it’s rare that I actually draw her ^^”

[the-enby-bird]

a gal inspired by blue dragon nudibranchs! i wanted to make her look less nice but its,,,,,, hard to convey "nice looking but its all fake she'll fucking kill you" in a still image (and also i just wasnt planning on her having a personality at the start so the pose doesnt fit lmao)

^^^ blue dragons, or glaucus atlanticus (or sea swallow, or blue glacus, or blue angels-) are some of the first nudibranches i ever truly heard of, and are thus relatively special to me. they can be found in tropical and subtropical waters across the world, and they move by floating on their backs- they've got an air bubble in their stomach that helps them float! they do this to camouflage- one of their sides is made to disguise them from predators above, and the other side to disguise from those below. they primarily live in the open ocean, and only rarely are blown ashore. when they are blown ashore, however, be warned- these little stinkers can eat the portuguese man o' war, and take their sting to use for themselves. they can land you in a hospital, if you have a bad enough reaction. so terrifying. so fucking goregous. 10/10 creatures.

[samimarkart]

sea slug party!

[critter-creature-or-beast]

By Sylke Rohrlach from Sydney - Blue dragon-glaucus atlanticus, CC BY-SA 2.0

[catandcrown]

Another Merman. This time its @colorslashform with a Blue Sea Dragon. A bit more eldritch, this one, but we agreed to go for something a little more out there for him :)

[lovertm]

nudibranch plushes by ebbtidetoys

[spuddragon]

It's a dragon based on the blue dragon nudibranch!

[wuzhere75]

A spiritual redraw

[vireosy]

Invertober Day 14 - blue glaucus

[nightingaleinberkleysquare]

————————————————————————

Common name: Blue dragon/Blue Glaucus

Scientific name: Glaucus Atlanticus

Diet: venomous siphonophores, snails

Habitat: tropical/subtropical open ocean

Genus: Glaucus

Predators: loggerhead sea turtles

Size: 1-3 inches

Lifespan: a year at most

Extra information: their Blue color helps camouflage.

They store the stinging cells (nematocysts) from their prey, which is where they get their venom.

A group of Blue Dragons if called a Blue fleet

They are hermaphrodites.

They are appearing in places they haven't been before, scientists theorize this is because of cyclical changes in Portuguese man o war populations, increased storm activity, and warming oceans.

Their venom is active even after death.

[simpsforscience]

Don't let the looks fool you! 🐉 This mesmerizing blue creature, the Glaucus Atlanticus, is known as the "Blue Dragon" for a reason. It's a venomous predator that floats upside down in the ocean, feasting on jellyfish and stealing their stinging power! 🌊 Nature is wild! 🦠

[seaslug-haven]

🌊Latin name: Glaucus atlanticus

🌊Common name: Blue sea dragon, Sea swallow, Blue angel, Dragon slug

🌊Family: Glaucidae

Probably the most well known sea slug on the internet, famous for its interesting appearance and many videos of people handling it.

🌐Found throughout the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans in tropical and subtropical waters. They appear mostly on the surface, floating on its back - an air bubble in its stomach helping it maintain buoyancy. That does mean they can accidentaly wash up on beaches, hence many videos of people handling it.

💫 Fun fact: A group of blue glaucuses floating together is called a “blue fleet.”

🖍Their coloration is an example of countershading - its bright blue underside helps the blue glaucus blend into the water’s surface while its grayish backside helps it blend into the ocean when spotted from below, camouflaging it from both flying and swimming predators while floating in open water.

🍽 This silly guy is a predator. It hunts larger marine organisms, e.g. plant Physalia physalis, the polyp Porpita porpita or the snail Janthina janthina. Occasionally, some individuals may resort to c-nnib-lism.

⚠️As mentioned before, these nudibranches feed on what is called Portuguese Man-O’-war (Physalia physalis) - venomous prey - which also makes them venomous. This venom is stored in the ceratas (refer to picture above; dark blue finger like ceratas), the more Physalia it eats -> the more concentrated the venom will be.

And for those interested in more of this silly slug:

Video of a dancing Glaucus atlanticus

Video of a Glaucus atlanticus being properly handled

Video of the silly chilling

[kazenorth]

Glaucus atlanticus, or the Blue Sea Dragon! They are a venomous species that feeds on jellyfish, using their toxins for it's own protetion.

[ehrenenglish]

Invertober 14: Blue Glaucus

[carsaadi]

whiteboard stuff ft. @verquilla, @brunkles and my good pal Langy :]

[spuddragon]

Phylliroe sea slug dragon!