The pictures of these amazingly beautiful creatures have gone trending in social media ever since it hit the shores of Queensland, Australia. The blue and silvery creature that can quite easily fit into the fairy tales or sci-fi movies is actually a slug known as the blue dragon. The scientific name of the creature is Glaucus atlanticus, a sea slug.
The blue dragon is vibrant blue in color with silver stripes on it. The appearance of the blue dragon is so flamboyant that the silver stripes can be confused with decorations and ornamentation. But in reality these color combinations help them camouflage and mix with the environment.
G. atlanticus is small in size. The largest blue dragon can have size of about an inch and a half in length—but it packs quite a punch. According to Mental Floss, “The scrappy sea slug goes after animals like the Portuguese Man o’ War, which is not only much larger than the slug but also highly venomous. Instead of being deterred by the Man o’ War’s nematocysts (stinging cells), the blue dragon eats them. ”
No matter how much stunning a blue dragon might look, never try to touch it. They can cause detrimental effects on your skin like burning, hives, and dark, damaged patches of skin. The picture above shows a person holding it. But you are never encouraged to do so!
