Mass of blue dragon(?) nudibranchs

May 20, 2002
From: Stephen Martin

Late last summer at Collaroy swimming pool [Sydney, NSW, Australia] my sons and I found 18 nudibranchs (blue, black and silver). They appeared to be dead as we could pick them from the surface of the pool water. As we put them back over the pool wall they moved so may have been only stunned. (OR simply lethagic). It was a very overcast day, after rain and the tide was nearly full. Unfortunately there are storm water drains near the pool so I guess pollution cannot be ruled out. They may be blue dragons but I cannot confirm this from the reference books.
Any ideas ?
Steve

smartin@sl.nsw.gov.au

Martin, S., 2002 (May 20) Mass of blue dragon(?) nudibranchs. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/6999

Dear Steve,
There are a couple of nudibranchs which have been given the common name 'blue dragon' in eastern Australia. One is the spectacular Pteraeolidia ianthina which I have described as 'solar-powered' because like corals it can store and utilise single-celled plants in its tissues. From your description however I suspect your animal is the other 'blue dragon', Glaucus atlanticus, which floats on the surface of the ocean, drifting with great aggregations of the blue-bottle Physalia on which it feeds. If you have a look at the Fact Sheet on Glaucus you will see that it can store the most powerful stinging cells from the blue-bottle and use them for its own protection when attacked.

Have a look at the other messages on this page as the Forum now has a lot of information on these fascinating animals from many parts of the world.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (May 20). Comment on Mass of blue dragon(?) nudibranchs by Stephen Martin. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/6999

Factsheet

Glaucus atlanticus

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