Written by Meet the Glaucus atlanticus, a tiny sea slug that’s only 3 cm long, floating on the surface of an ocean near you. Like many of these uncommon creatures, this one has a lot of names which include a sea swallow, blue angel, blue glaucus, blue dragon, blue sea slug and blue ocean slug. Despite its colorful appearance, this isn’t a creature you’d like to come across as it’s loaded with poison due to its unique diet. It feeds on the venomous Portuguese man o’ war, a creature often mistaken for a jellyfish which also goes by the unsettling name of the “floating terror.”
This small invertebrate eats hydrozoans from the man o’ war, which are fatal to humans, but easily consumed by the Glaucus atlanticus. It has hard disks inside its body that act as protective barriers, secreting a special mucus. After enjoying a meal, the Glaucus atlanticus stores the poison inside its body for the future in order to defend itself. Some scientists think that if this little sea slug has a voracious appetite, it can end up becoming far more dangerous than even the Portuguese man o’ war.
The Glaucus Atlanticus is neither male nor female, but a hermaphrodite with both reproductive organs. After mating, each slug produces eggs, which they lay on driftwood, or on the skeletal remains of their enemies. When food is in short supply, things get a little crazy. When one slug meets another in the neighborhood, rather than wave hello, they’ll simply begin to eat the other head first. Yep, turns out this little pint-sized blue dragon is also a poison-sucking cannibal. Too bad, really, as they are such a lovely shade of blue.
About the Doodlewash
M. Graham watercolors: Cobalt Blue, Cobalt Teal, Ultramarine Blue, and Neutral Tint. Lamy Safari Al Star pen with Platinum Carbon blue ink in a 5″ x 8″ 140 lb. (300 gsm) Pentalic Aqua Journal
It really is a beautiful creature, but yikes – deadly! Your painting makes it look almost like a lovely glass collectible to be put on display, which is the only way I’d want to meet up with one of these. Very nice, Charlie 👍🏻
Thanks so much Carol!! 😃💕 Yeah…they’re so weirdly pretty and I no idea they liked to eat poison for dinner. I’ll be keeping my distance as well!! Hehe
Gorgeous colors on the deadly creature. Admire from afar, very far.
Thanks Teri!! 😃💕 Yeah…best to stay away from this one. Though there were several posts about people wanting to keep them as pets. Yikes!
Lovely painting of a lovely, if not painfully so, creature. Have never seen one here, but will definitely keep my eyes open in case one happens by.
Thanks Haunani! 💕😃 they are so interesting and beautiful, but yeah…not a creature that you’d want to pet! Hehe
I was loving it until the last line! LOL! Great doodlewash and info!
Thanks Jodi! 😃💕Haha! What? You have something against poison-sucking cannibals? Yeah… not a cute little addition to an aquarium with this guy/gal. Hehe
pretty creature!
Thanks so much!! Glad you liked this!! 😃
As freaky scary as this thing is, you managed to make it so magnificent that I’m a little in love with it! 😀 <3
Awww thanks Teresa!! 😃💕 the poison-sucking aside it really is a wonderfully cool creature!!
Love it’s colors but would hate to meet up with one! Not sure I’d see it at that small size… Another reason to NOT go swimming in the ocean which is fine with me! Hehe! 😜💙🎨
Thanks Jill!! 😃💙 hehe…Yeah…looking up these creatures like this has sort of scared me from ever hopping in the water! Lol But they’re so pretty and I really do love snorkeling! 😊
I do like snorkeling too, Charlie! But then I got caught in a riptide on Maui… It was really scary! So unless it is a protected reef, I’m staying on shore! 😬🐠 Where do YOU like to snorkel?! 😄🛳
I actually only snorkeled for a week at various beaches in Vieques, Puerto Rico. It was amazing, but did end up getting a rash from some kind of seaweed or something. Not pleasant! 😊hehe… but if do it again!
The colors of fish is what I found AMAZING! How about you?! 😃
The same!! … I just LOVE color!! ❤️💚💙💜hehe
Yikes, scary creature, I don’t think we get them in our waters, at least I hope not. Great colours though.
Thanks Rebecca! 😃💕 Yeah…the blue is so pretty on this creature. But not one I’d want to meet during a swim!!
Beautiful blue! It’s so fun having you as a tour guide :).
Awww thanks Jessica!! 😃💕 Back at ya! Having you as a supply tour guide has been amazingly wonderful!! Yay!
Yikes, beautiful but deadly. I love the blue tones, Charlie. Very nicely rendered.
Thanks Sharon!! 😃💕 Yeah…best viewed from a distance…but they’re super tiny so best viewed from photos. Hehe…even safer that way! 😉
This is the most beautiful slug I’ve ever seen! That blue has become my favorite blue! Maybe deadly bit so pretty to look at! I’m hoping to do some art this week since it’s my spring break!! Woohoo!! Haha.. ❤️😜❤️
Thanks Kari!! 😃💕 Isn’t it cool? For a slug at least. Hehe… And yay!! LOVE hearing that you’ll be doing art this week!! You notice I ignored your “hoping to” part and will just smile happily assuming you’ll DO it! 😉👍🏻❤️
Wow, ice cold. You know, when I first saw this, I thought it so beautiful that it was bound to be something hugely unpleasant, seems I was right… but this is an utterly captivating doodlewash! One to enjoy from a distance, no doubt!
Thanks Jacob! Lol… Yeah…it does have that, I’m too pretty to be good look to it. So many creatures are like that…many humans I guess as well come to think of it. Lol This and those humans are all best enjoyed from a safe distance. 😉
love the blues you used here! brilliant !
Thanks so much Debi!😃💕hehe… a little Cobalt Teal always makes me happy!
I absolutely agree with You!
Horrid but cute! I wonder what its role is in the Eco- system…
You are educating us, Charlie! I just had to look him up and one of the interesting facts was that “The ventral side of the organism, which actually floats on the sea surface due to the gas float in its stomach, is a brilliantly blue color matching the color of the ocean. The dorsal side, which faces downward into the ocean, is a silvery grey color to blend in with the surface, thus providing protection from predators”.
Another you could do is the Porpita Porpita, or blue button, which is one of the poisonous jellyfish this slug feeds on. Just a suggestion:-)
That’s awesome!! Thanks so much for including the extra info. These little slugs are endlessly fascinating aren’t they? hehe Love this! Had never heard of a Porpita Portpita… looks like a flower almost instead of a living creature. The Janthina is also on the sea slug’s menu and look pretty cool as well!
Love the colours of this little guy. Tho I wouldn’t like to meet him when he got hungry.
JP
Thanks! Glad you like this… it was fun to play with all my blues. And I don’t think he’d eat you, unless you’re full of poison… lol… but a sting would definitely not be cool!
What a beautiful and rather horrid creature. I love the blue and his/her floaty quality. Lovely doodlewash Charlie and such unique information!
Thanks Cathe! 😃💕Yeah it’s super pretty, but wow… would not want to come across one in the ocean!!
I guess, it needs to defend its obvious beauty somehow 😉 What blue(s) did you use for this doodlewash. Very pretty!
Thanks! hehe… it was fun to doodlewash! I list the colors at the bottom in the “About the Doodlewash” section but never sure if anyone sees it! lol I used Cobalt Blue, Cobalt Teal, and Ultramarine Blue (pretty much the only 3 blues I have in my little palette!)
Oh, indeed, I overlooked that! Now I know. Thanks 🙂
hehe… no worries! 😃
✌️😌👍
This one really looks like a plant…or maybe some glittery thing, waiting for the right costume to attach itself to! (K)
Thanks Kerfe!😃Lol… yeah it looks like it would make a cool broach!
It would!
And such a lovely shade of blue too. Poisonous? Too bad. I would find that colour hard to resist if I were sharing the same water with it. Yikes!
Thanks, Susan! 😃💕Hehe… yeah… best not to touch one of these, regardless of the inviting color! Yikes is right!
‘Glaucus Atlanticus’ sounds like a Roman gladiator!
Another good one, Charlie… it’s odd though how something so uncommon can have so may names!
Thanks Tom! It does sound like a gladiator!! lol And yeah…it seems these unusual creatures end up with a ton of names. Guess nobody seems to agree on quite what to call them! Hehe
Such a pretty little poison – not one to invite to the swim party.
Lol… Yeah… I don’t think this little thing gets a lot of invites to pool parties. 😊
What a colorful little slug!
Thanks, Kathrin! 😃💕Hehe…as slugs go, I thought this one actually qualified as pretty.