Tiny Real-Life 'Dragon' Makes A Stunning Rare Appearance

This story is actually from November of 2015 but I still wanted to share. How many times have you wanted to own a pet dragon? Often times when there is something from mythology that we find fascinating we have to live with the dreams that our minds can imagine. Every once in a while mother nature gifts us with something almost as neat as our fantasies.

They may be a bit more diminutive than their namesake counterparts are imagined, measuring in at just over an inch fully grown, but this species is no less fearsome. Blue dragons ( Glaucus atlanticus) spend their lives floating upside down in warm ocean currents, attacking their prey with a powerful venom from their wing-like appendages. Their sting is so deadly, in fact, that they're known to take down other venomous marine animals, like the Portuguese man-o-war.

Article on The Dodo.com

While blue dragons are said to be quite rarely seen by humans, the beautiful, fierce little mollusk was caught on camera just last week after washing ashore on a beach in Queensland, Australia — offering a fleeting glimpse of one of Earth's prettiest inhabitants.

So it seems that this little guy was given a very appropriate name. Even though it only grows to be a little over an inch long it’s venom can deadly. The BlueDragon creates a mucus on its skin to protect itself from other venomous species but it can do one even better than that; It stores the swallowed poison inside the up to 84 finger-like structures sticking out of its body, and then uses this poison to defend itself against other predators!

a reply to: Martin75

Cool Jess!

I love that it disarms its foes and uses the weapon against other enemies.

Clever!

a reply to: Martin75

What a cool thing , why can't garden slugs look like that ?

a reply to: Martin75

i wonder if they hurt people as well..ok i think we might have to take a trip there and see one...and hope it dont hurt us..but i so wished we could go there as it would be so neat to see one..i think syx would try to bring him home...i have seen this little guy at fb as well over the years..the colors on him are so very cool...thanks for sharing this..

a reply to: Martin75

I saw this the other day in an article, it really does

resemble a dragon creature doesn't it.

Awesome.

I have known of these beautiful little creatures, but so glad you made a thread and reminded me of them! They are sooooo awesome!!!!!!

a reply to: Martin75

Beautiful little creature

a reply to: Martin75

if its so venomous - why is it balanced on someones bare skin in on pic ?

Amazing..

This is a Nudibranch right, or perhaps related to them? Back in my reef keeping days, I met a handful of enthusiasts who collected these animals. The beautiful thing about the marine aquarium hobby is the wide diversity of niche animals one can collect in their aquariums. Some people collect only these animals for their tanks, others do crabs, fish only, mixed reef, coral only, octopus, shrimp only, planted etc.. etc..

Really stunning creatures. That little dragon is dangerous, here are some of its cousins.




The right species in an aquarium can do well to control invasive aiptasia, the wrong ones will eat all your coral!

originally posted by: ignorant_ape
a reply to: Martin75

if its so venomous - why is it balanced on someones bare skin in on pic ?

Like most women I've been with in my life.. Extremely beautiful but highly dangerous..

a reply to: Martin75

Such a beautiful little aquatic life-form. I discovered the very same photo of this tiny blue wonder (second pic) in my internet search just the other day. Quite amazing. Like a living piece of art.

a reply to: Martin75

OMFG Jess! These are amazing!!
I LOVE These Beautiful little Blue Dragons!!!
(Reasons are obvious!) LOL!!

VERY Cool Thread!! Nice!!! Syx...


Oh Hey, can I link This Thread to My Dragons Thread?!

a reply to: SyxPak

Oh Hey, can I link This Thread to My Dragons Thread?!

You know she will say yes.

Seems all of the Dragon Folk from ATS dropped in to this thread.

That is just as awesome as the tinniest dragon, beautiful blue.

Amazing.

P

I recall this one, nice to see again. What a fascinating creature as a "sea slug"(nudibranchs- soft-bodied mollusks), who'd have guessed? There's some of these sea slugs nearby where I live, less dragon in appearance though.





Source

a reply to: dreamingawake

These things are essentially like one of the most vivid appearing creatures on Earth, nearly unrivaled in surreal beauty and intrigue. The sheer volume of diversity is a whole other feat on its own! There are serious collectors out there that have thousands of dollars worth of livestock in just them alone, not even accounting for the system to keep them satisfied.

This is one of the coolest and most beautiful creatures I've ever seen. Thanks so much for this. I'm truly amazed!