Blue dragon
Glaucus atlanticus
- Scientific name
- Glaucus atlanticus
- Group
- Nudibranchs & Molluscs
- Rarity
- Epic
- Where to see it
- Caribbean & Tropical Atlantic, Indo-Pacific & Red Sea
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Not evaluated
Did you know?
The blue dragon floats upside down at the ocean's surface and feeds on the Portuguese man o' war, recycling its stinging cells to build its own defense, often more potent than its prey's. Its blue and white coloring camouflages it from both above and below.
What defines this group — Nudibranchs & Molluscs
Sea snails, with or without a shell — nudibranchs traded theirs for warning colours.
- “Nudibranch” means naked gills: the plume on the back is their breathing apparatus.
- Two rhinophores on the head act as a nose, following scent trails.
- Many recycle the venom of their prey — anemones, hydroids — for their own defence.