“Blue Sea Angel” belongs to a group of sea slugs. Called “Sea Angels” because of their unusual shape and transparency, they are gelatinous and have wing-like appendages. It is hard to imagine that a winged creature flying in the sky would swim just below the surface of the water. And the hiding ability of this creature can be said to be superior.
This type of sea slug has a strange shape and can glow in the dark depths of the ocean.
Where does this creature with a strange appearance, glowing underwater, clear as jelly, with two horns on its head come from, and what species do they belong to?
Sea slug – “Blue sea angel”
“Blue sea angels” are actually tiny sea slugs with a maximum length of about 7 cm belonging to the order Gymnosomata. Their scientific name is Clione limacina, and is commonly known as “Blue Sea Angel” or “Nude Sea Butterfly”.
This species of sea slug is found in the cold waters of the Arctic Ocean, North Pacific Ocean and North Atlantic Ocean. This creature is named so because its fin-like legs help sea slugs glide around the ocean without any difficulty.
Like a creature from a distant planet, this “Blue Sea Angel” can travel and live in the harshest seas on Earth. So small and fragile, it seems like it could disintegrate in water in an instant but can live under the ice in the White Sea in the Russian Arctic.
The ocean life of the sea slug “Naked moth”
When they are born, they also have a shell to protect them, but this shell will gradually disappear as they mature. Actually, it’s a sea slug, but when it matures, it “shakes itself” and turns into sea butterfly mode – like a butterfly that can fly under the ocean. But don’t be confused, they are not real sea butterflies and are not related to this species at all. Sea butterflies (Limacina helicina) with small sizes from 1 – 4 mm are the food of the “Blue Sea Angel”!
The blue sea angel just likes to “eat” this sea butterfly!
The fragile and seemingly harmless appearance of “Blue Sea Angels” cannot hide the fact that they are carnivores, and they only eat plankton species such as the sea butterfly (Limacina helicina), which has an equally adorable appearance. they.
Choosing the villain role to play, “Blue Sea Angel” also has different strategies when hunting prey. Some fish like “the right bait at the right time”; Others like to chase and hunt before eating.
Appendages like two angel wings help this sea slug easily move in the ocean.
If encountering unyielding prey, the “Blue Sea Angel” can fly into a rage, open its mouth and stick out finger-like tentacle-like appendages. Their heads grip their prey tightly, their hooked and serrated tentacles help them knock sea butterflies out of their shells, torment and eat them.
Imagine, you are watching a deep sea horror movie. Behind that fragile angelic expression, they remove their masks to reveal a series of sharp-edged tentacles designed to pry sea butterflies intact from their shells. Precise and unyielding, sharp and decisive!
Sea slug “Blue Sea Angel”
The charm of this “Naked Moth” is truly impressive in the way it moves. It sounds staged, but in reality these creatures glide back and forth in the ocean in smooth, rhythmic movements, as if they are performing a unique dance of their species.
In addition to their special appearance, this sea slug’s strange way of moving also attracts attention across the ocean because it can change gender. Even for us humans, having to learn dance subjects in school to pass the subject is also a difficult problem. But this sea slug performs this dance ritual to… mate.
Sea slugs “Naked moths” mate
Amid the symphony of water currents in the ocean’s depths, pairs of sea slugs mate by spinning for hours. Well, sometimes sea slugs will hunt at the same time as they mate.
“Blue Sea Angel” also has many tricks to preserve his life. Let’s just say, they’re quite difficult to… kill. Sea slugs have a poisonous covering all over their bodies to prevent fish from eating them. Or the translucent jelly-like structure hides in the darkness of the ocean, allowing them to escape from enemies. This is considered an outstanding defense method of sea slugs.
This sea slug is semi-transparent. Just stop your eyes a little longer and you can see their internal organs and… gonads.
Temporary conclusion about sea slug “Blue Sea Angel”
The life of the “Blue Sea Angel” contains different lessons about survival. “Sea angels” or their food, sea butterflies, both date back to about 130 million years ago during the Cretaceous period. This information suggests that they survived the mass extinction event, and scientists are also studying whether this species can teach us any lessons about resilience.
In fact, human-caused ocean acidification is directly threatening the survival of plankton like the sea. This means that the “Blue Sea Angel” is gradually losing its meal. If you have a long life, the “Blue Sea Angel” will also prolong your life for up to 2 years.
