One TikTok User Finds a Blue Glaucus Sea Slug on the Beach Details
One TikTok User's "Pokémon" Is Another's Dangerous Australian Sea Creature
By Anna GarrisonDec. Eleven 2021, Published 11:49 a.m. ET
Users on TikTok are accustomed to the surprising, but no one could anticipate the results of user @julianobayd's day at the beach. While Julian was visiting the beach at Stradbroke Island in Queensland, Australia, he came upon a tiny blue creature in the water. In a now-viral video posted to TikTok, Julian wrote, "Anyone know what this is?"
Comments flooded in making an attempt to spot the blue creature, which Julian notes in a second TikTok video, "moves like a Pokémon." Thankfully, there was once one commenter who recognized the creature as a glaucus atlanticus, or blue dragon, which is a form of sea slug. What is a glaucus atlanticus, and is it toxic? Read on for everything we find out about this viral sea creature.
What is a Blue glaucus atlanticus?
As it seems, the glaucus atlanticus is indeed bad, in step with Oceana.org. The creature "incorporates toxic chemicals or stinging cells from its prey into its own skin" and can be discovered floating thru the waters of Australia on its backside. The glaucus atlanticus is a form of nudibranch or a soft-bodied sea slug.
Typical nudibranchs, in line with National Geographic Kids, spend their time sliding on their bellies looking for meals. The nudibranch vitamin comprises coral, sponges, and fish eggs off of the ocean floor. However, as Oceana states, the glaucus atlanticus has a reasonably different vitamin. The blue dragon slug isn't bad on its own however stores "stinging nematocysts" when feeding on its preferred prey, the Portuguese guy o'battle jellyfish.
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♬ Infinity - Jaymes Young Source: TikTokThe glaucus atlanticus then helps to keep the stinging cells from the jellyfish's toxic tentacles to unleash on unsuspecting creatures if they really feel threatened. Oceana even notes that every so often the sting of a blue dragon slug is much more dangerous than the jellyfish from which it stole the poison.
Blue dragons have turn out to be more and more commonplace in Australia. According to Vice, the tiny creatures have been "turning up in droves" since February 2021, most often following a full moon. Marine biologist Sarah-Jo Lobwein of the Australian Environmental Educators Association defined to the ABC there might be a climate-change-related reason for the unexpected influx of blue dragons.
Reply to @fuji_kami777 #DisneyPlusVoices before i knew it would kill me 🥲 #beach #beachvibes #fish #weird #alien
♬ Infinity - Jaymes Young Source: TikTok"I think it is the combination of warming or changing seas … possibly leading to a 'trigger' in the explosion of the animals at certain times but reliant on that perfect mix of the effect of the Moon on tides, wind direction, water temperature and the currents," She stated.
On Julian's fourth video enjoying with the Blue glaucus, one commenter wrote, "If it's a vibrant color, by the law of nature, don't touch it." Many creatures in the animal kingdom who recreation shiny, vibrant colors are often poisonous, together with the poison dart frog, the coral snake, the flamboyant cuttlefish, the crown of thorns starfish, and different nudibranch species very similar to Blue glaucus.
Reply to @dodgegrandminivan haha information! additionally we didn’t mean to send him spinning 😞 #helicopter #beach #beachvibes #fish #weird #alien
♬ Helikopter - Fazlija Source: TikTokUltimately, the best rule of thumb when encountering contributors of the animal kingdom is to steer clear if you'll't instantly identify the species. Thankfully, it seems that that Julian stays unharmed by way of the tiny Blue glaucus, but different TikTok users who try to play with the creatures is probably not so fortunate.
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