Animal Profiles
Molluscs

Blue Dragon Sea Slug

Glaucus atlanticus

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

The blue dragon sea slug floats upside down at the ocean surface. It feeds on floating cnidarians and retains some of their stinging cells.

Glaucus atlanticus

Taro Taylor from Sydney, Australia · CC BY

At a glance

Location
At the ocean surface, where wind and currents carry it alongside floating prey.
Habitat
Open ocean
Diet
Carnivore
Food
Floating cnidarians, including Portuguese men-of-war.

Classification

Common name
Blue Dragon Sea Slug
Browse group
Molluscs
Scientific name or taxon
Glaucus atlanticus
Taxon rank
species
Order
Nudibranchia
Family
Glaucidae
Genus
Glaucus
Source classification
Gastropoda

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

  • It floats with its underside facing upward.
  • It can retain stinging cells from prey.
  • Its diet includes Portuguese men-of-war.

Habitat and range

At the ocean surface, where wind and currents carry it alongside floating prey.

Appearance and adaptations

Its side branches carry numerous finger-like cerata. These projections create a winged outline and store selected stinging cells obtained from prey.

Diet and behaviour

It eats animals with powerful stings and keeps useful stinging cells for its own defence. Drifting at the surface carries it between feeding opportunities.

Sources

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