#solar-powered sea slug

[seaslug-haven]

Hello! Love your blog. It's wonderful and is sure to make many people's days. Sea slug request: Cyerce Nigricans or Costasiella Kuroshimae.

🌊Latin name: Costasiella Kuroshimae

🌊Common name: Leaf slug, Leaf sheep, Solar-powered sea slug

🌊Family: Costasiellidae

🌐Near Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines, leaf sheep can be found underwater, where light is available. Found next to coral reefs.

🦠They live and feed on Avrainvillea - a fuzy algea. They suck on the algea, getting the chloroplasts out and keep them in the ceratas for 10 days. This process is called kleptoplasty. It also means they can do photosyntesis - they’re one of the only sea creatures that can photosynthesize. If needed, it allows them to suppliment their diet in case of need.

More photos of these guys:

🐌 We thank you for the ask! Cyerce nigricans is for another time ;)

P.s: apologies for the late reply!

[taxonomytournament]

Taxonomy Tournament: Gastropods

Sacoglossa. This superorder is made up of solar-powered sea slugs, which ingest the insides of algae cells. This allows some of them to perform photosynthesis using stolen chloroplasts, the only animals to do so.

Stylommatophora. This order is made up of air-breathing land snails and slugs, including the garden snail, great grey slug, Roman snail and banana slug

[katiajewelbox]

Meet the real life “Bulbasaur”! That Pokemon is famous for being a dinosuar-like animal with a flowering green plant that grows on its back and provides energy. It sounds like pure fantasy, but there is actually an animal that has a similar lifestyle...

“There are several species of sea slugs that have evolved to look like leaves. One example is the Elysia chlorotica, also known as the eastern emerald elysia or the "solar-powered sea slug". This species of sea slug is found along the east coast of North America and is known for its bright green color and leaf-like appearance, which allows it to blend in with the surrounding seaweed. In addition to its leaf-like appearance, the Elysia chlorotica has the unique ability to steal genes from the algae it consumes, allowing it to photosynthesize and use solar energy to survive. This makes it one of the few animals on Earth that is capable of harnessing the power of the sun to meet its energy needs - it can go without eating for 9 months because it can photosynthesize just like a plant while basking in the sun!”

(Source: The Organic Consumers’ Association of Australia Linked In page) #biodiversity #nature #wildlife #naturephotography #macro #conservation #birds #naturelovers #biodiversit #wildlifephotography #climatechange #environment #sustainability #photography #biology #biodiversidad #animals #insects #ecology #insect #bird #biodiversidade #flowers #macrophotography #naturaleza #forest #perfection #earth #science #wildlifeconservation

[vivsemporium]

Six sets of Sacoglossa stickers! These are sea slugs, also named solar-powered sea slugs are able to photosynthesise! The mascot of this superorder is the sea bunny with their vibrant green bodies and pink rosy cheeks

Each pack will have a little information card and fun facts about these cuties.

Have put a lot of time and passion into these and hope you all like them as much as I do :)

[spentimental]

E is for Elysia Chlorotica, the solar-powered sea slug 

Just as eating shrimp turns flamingos pink and eating too many carrots will turn you orange (a process called carotenosis), the eastern emerald elysia get their green color from algae. But they also take the Kirby approach of absorbing the algae’s power of photosynthesis. To do this, they slurp the algae up and digest all but the chloroplasts. They then keep the chloroplasts alive and incorporate them into their own cells. The chloroplasts continue operating as usual, photosynthesizing for their new host. This is called kleptoplasty.

Much like with Cadlina Laevis, I hope to return to Elysia one day to better represent her indescribable beauty. Designing her dress took far longer than it should have and really brought to light the limitations of vector art and my lack of experience as an artist. I didn’t end up using either of these vintage dresses for Queen Elysia, but I wanted to share them anyway as I may not use them for future Alphabet Superset cards. This beaded gown looked perfect due to the similarities to the sparkles of elysia chlorotica, but I wanted to pay homage to the 1960s trend of the ruffled collar. I don’t have any other animals planned that I think the ruffled collar would fit except elysia. I tried to replicate this dress but it actually broke my brain. Then my document overwhelmed Inkscape to the point of crashing multiple times and I lost some progress that I didn’t feel like redoing. She ended up with a scalloped collar instead.

Last time, I talked about struggling with motivation. I’ve been trying to curb my avoidance by coming up with another long-term project like the Alphabet Superset challenge that I can turn to when I lose steam. I know it sounds like a ticket to burnout, but I think having permission to procrastinate with a specific project will help keep me invested in the things that I have committed to. The blessing of having a miniscule following is that I can post without worrying that I’ll upset anyone by breaking my established pattern. For those of you with creative blogs like art or writing, what do you wish you could experiment with but are afraid to do so?

Next Week’s Sneak Peek:

Flying fish, and finally our first spade!

[herpsandbirds]

my life has only known joy since i learned of elysia chlorotica

E X Q U I S I T E

Eastern Emerald Elysia (Elysia chlorotica), family Plakobranchidae, found along the East Coast of the United States

This creature engages in kleptoplasty, taking the chloroplasts from the algae that it eats, and using the chloroplasts for the waste products they create though photosynthesis. Its kind of a... solar powered sea slug!

These sea slugs are not nudibranch, but are in a different order of gastropods.

image via: Views of Elysia chlorotica from Martha’s Vineyard. Figure 15 of Krug et al., 2016, Zootaxa 4148:1

image via: Karen N. Pelletreau et al.   http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0097477

[pillowspace]

I enjoy seeing you get excited about sea slugs

What's your favorite?

I'm glad!!

My favourite is cyerce nigricans! It reminds me of if a biblically accurate angel was a butterfly. I'm sure there are prettier sea slugs, but I'm fond of this one

They're also of the sacoglossan type which I find cool. Sacoglossans are also referred to as "solar-powered sea slugs" :D

[baroueman]

Phyllodesmium is a species of aeolid nudibranchs; of which tend to be and this species IS --- marine gastropod molluscs. These are in the family Facelinidae. These beautiful nudibranchs have tendril-like appendages on their thin body and as you can see are soft-bodied nudibranchs similar to most other species. They come in different variations; from non-transparent to transparent, with transparent offspring being called Phyllodesmium opalescens, Phyllodesmium iriomotense, Phyllodesmium poindimiei and other terms. Non-transparent versions of this genus are called Phyllodesmium briareum, Yellow-tipped phyllodesmium, Phyllodesmium serratum and other terms likewise. These are one of the more uncommon species, as these tendrils encompass their entire body. Its prey are  octocorals; a kind of soft coral, and Some of the species are also unusual in that they are able to utilize zooxanthellae from their prey, in a symbiotic relationship that provides them with extra nutrition from photosynthesis, hence they are commonly called "solar-powered" sea slugs.

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[hyperfixated-homo]

EVERYBODY SHUT UP. LOOK WHAT I JUST FOUND

THIS IS A LEAF SHEEP, AKA A LEAF SLUG. IT LIVES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN AND EATS SO MUCH ALGAE IT CAN PHOTOSYNTHESIZE. THIS LIL GUY IS AROUND 5MM LONG. THEY ARE SOMETIMES CALLED SOLAR POWERED SEA SLUGS BECAUSE OF THIS. THEY LOOK LIKE A LIVING POKEMON I ADORE THEM.

AND THESE-

ARE SEA BUNNIES!!! THEY ARE ONLY ABOUT 1CM - 2,5CM LONG!!! THEY ARE ALSO MENACES TO THE OCEAN. THEY EAT A LOT OF TOXIC SPONGES WHICH MAKES THEM TOXIC AS WELL.

AND THEY CAN STEAL THE STINGERS OUT OF JELLYFISH AND USE IT TO PROTECT THEMSELVES. 

[troutreznor]

so i went to read about nudibranchs on wikipedia and immediately got distracted going down the link rabbit hole of "Sacoglossan" sea slugs (often confused with nudibranchs) and im just gonna c/p some of the wikipedia about them -

Sacoglossa, commonly known as the sacoglossans or the "solar-powered sea slugs", are a superorder of small sea slugs and sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks that belong to the clade Heterobranchia. Sacoglossans live by ingesting the cellular contents of algae, hence they are sometimes called "sap-sucking sea slugs".

...

Some sacoglossans simply digest the fluid which they suck from the algae, but in some other species, the slugs sequester and use within their own tissues living chloroplasts from the algae they eat, a very unusual phenomenon known as kleptoplasty, for the "stolen" plastids. This earns them the title of the "solar-powered sea slugs", and makes them unique among metazoan organisms, for otherwise kleptoplasty is known only among single-celled protists.

...

Also known as chloroplast symbiosis, kleptoplasty is the energy-providing mechanism that gives the Sacoglossan’s the nickname, “solar-powered sea slugs”, and E. crispata the name, “lettuce sea slug.” As algal food is being digested, the chloroplasts are absorbed into the cells lining the digestive tract and up into their parapodia. How many chloroplasts the slug sequesters and the length of retention depends on the individual species of slug. Chloroplast retention in E. crispata tends to last around 40 days. Given the variation in their diet, chloroplasts from different algal species have been found to be taken up into the same cells, functioning normally alongside the other.

tl;dr these sea slugs eat algae and store their chloroplasts for months to photosynthesize for them when food is scarce; sacoglossan sea slugs are the only multicellular organisms known to do this (if I understand correctly 😅)

..

ik everyone probably knows about them but im in love rn so anyways here's some pics!

(forgive that I didnt pay attention to the specific species when grabbing pics)

oh to be a sea slug eating sunlight in the ocean 🩵💚💙

[ganymedesclock]

in random, what would the pale king think of ol' amaterasu? sun god who hangs out in bestial form and is pretty damn chill.

I think PK would not care for Ammy in the slightest but in ways that would make their interaction actually maybe sort of funny.

To his sensibilities, Ammy strikes as an entity comparable to the Radiance, not merely in solar domain, but in the sense this is an enormous ancient Elder God that draws a power of great intimacy and potency from mortals in range. He would get a whiff within like 20 paces of even a weakened Amaterasu and have the distinct sense this is not a fight he can win.

Ammy I feel would not be personally overjoyed by PK? She would be mildly suspicious of him, with good reason. Pre-fall of Hallownest she’d probably afford him some benefit of the doubt, she’d treat Hallownest the way she might any other place she’s come to- interact with average bugs, help them, get pets. She’d definitely be less fond of the Radiance, and help with that if she’s able.

Once the Abyss and what PK did there comes up, though, all bets would be off. Considering Tobi and how Ammy responded to him, it wouldn’t even be anything about the darkness, but about how the vessels were children and they were not only created under parameters not intended for them to thrive, but then discarded in huge numbers. Between that and the imp merchants, I feel like it’s fair to say that Ammy doesn’t really hate “darkness” as a light god; she’ll tear up demons, but specifically because those demons are conducting active harm on others. Something like the Abyss, which is neutral and seems to have existed for a long time right next to where people live, and might have a harmful influence up very close for its sheer gravity, would actually be kind of ideal for her- it’s not a darkness you have to fight. If we presume a crossover with some kind of history of interaction between Amaterasu and PK, I almost feel like the void fascination would be a point they could relate over. For her, as an artist, having this sense that there’s an ‘empty void’ that is not opposed and hostile to her like Yami is, giving her the chance that she might be able to understand and find closure on various points of grief in her life. I have the mental image of her using the water tablet to walk over the surface of the void sea and where its influence meets hers there’s some distinctly odd, unsettling water lilies blooming... but still flowers.

Aside from all of this and significantly more trivial, but I think it is funny to remember that there are no mammals in Hallownest’s setting that we’ve seen, and maggots / flukes / slugs / snails which are the most endoskeletal entities we’ve seen are seemingly treated as peculiar outliers, so Amaterasu’s common guise would be seen as much, much weirder here unless we’re assuming she deploys her obvious logical bugsona, a wolf spider. Even then, I think the reception would be rather different considering Hallownest’s pretty casual and widespread relationship with sapience, where entities like the weevils or stags are pretty clearly beast-of-burden approached as a person with a job.

(We can assume the glimbacks were originally more conventional pack mules but we also don’t know for sure because we only see them in an infected state; casual presumptions about what was an ‘animal’ and what was a ‘person’ are risky when it’d be very easy to assume that of the Flukes, unless you find the Fluke Hermit that makes it clear there were just a bunch of weird worm people living in the capital sewers)

This ended up having only so much to do with Ammy and PK making something of each other, but I feel like PK’s response to Ammy would be that he’s not going to deal with that as long as he has a reasonable expectation she’s not threatening his operation or his populace, and with that reassurance he might make cursory diplomacy to ensure it stays that way, but never really breach into sincerity except to gauge if he can use her help on the vessel project.

Meanwhile, Ammy would probably take his standoffishness as, well, okay, sure, if you don’t want to talk, I’m just going to sniff around on my own. She’s not a very stand-on-ceremony god, as her chosen form illuminates pretty well. I think at their warmest in this hypothetical crossover, she’d basically regard him mostly at a distance, through how his populace sees him.

[phoenix-is-the-hottest-thing]

Fun fact: elysia is a genus of sea slug! They are a Sacoglossa sea slug that look related to nudibranches, but are not! The thing about Sacoglossa specifically though is that they are also called “solar powered sea slugs” or “sap sucking sea slugs” meaning they most commonly suck the algae fluids and digest them for food! Other species of sacoglossa do it in other ways, but I believe the algae way is most common if im not mistaken!

that is VERY cool. do you think Elysia photosynthesizes

[taxonomytournament]

Taxonomy Tournament: Gastropods

Sacoglossa. This superorder is made up of solar-powered sea slugs, which ingest the insides of algae cells. This allows some of them to perform photosynthesis using stolen chloroplasts, the only animals to do so.

Hygrophila. This clade is made up of air-breathing freshwater snails, including pond snails and bubble snails

[epickiya722]

I am not an expert in the subject, however, the sheep and Bunny are different types of slugs, and slugs like the Sea sheeps could also be called 'solar-powered sea slugs', i believe, because the algae they consume is able to do photosynthesis, still, and actually benefiting them throught it.

Very fun to know some of them could also partially become 'plants'. Which, reminds me of;

Flower Power, and all.

I want you to know that I want to hug so much for telling me this because that is by far the best thing I have came to known all week.

For real, that is just so fitting for Izuku!!!

He's been a flower, he's a been a sheep! He's also a water sign (♋ SQUAD, BABY).

Now he can be a sea sheep that work like a plant!! 3 in 1!!

[vivsemporium]

If there's any questions or any information that I have missed, please feel free to comment down below and I'll do my best to respond!