Glaucus atlanticus, or the blue dragon, is one of the most fascinating looking creatures in the ocean. It also happens to be one of the most deadly.
Recently , miniature blue flying dragon wash off up on Australia ’s shores . The dragons draw in beachgoers , as they always do , with their strange , unique beauty . But no matter how beautiful or little these creatures are , if you ever see one , you should back far away .
These tartar , also known as blue angel and ocean swallow , are technically calledGlaucus atlanticusand are simply sea slugs that top out at around an in long . But what they lack in size , they make up for in ferocity and peach .
Glaucus atlanticusisn’t the bottom - feeding ocean sluggard hoi polloi are used to seeing . They use a gas sac in their stomach to be adrift upside - down in tender ocean stream , snagging other pocket-sized venomous man-of-war with their tiny gamey animal foot .

FlickrA photo of the Glaucus Atlanticus.
When the clout occur across a helpless man-of-war drifting unknowingly to its death , it snap it by its body and drag clod off of its gelatinlike mass with strong jaw and rows of phonograph needle - needlelike teeth . And if there are n’t any deadly jelly around to ingest , blue dragons will turn to cannibalism .
FlickrA photo of the Glaucus Atlanticus .
Glaucus atlanticuscan be just as life-threatening on the beach . After they ’ve feast on poisonous jellyfish , they have the ability to concentrate that venom within their bodies and unleash a confidence trick more powerful than that of the jellyfish they consume . unsuspicious beachgoers can sometimes find themselves on the painful end of that con .
naughty dragon sea slug sightings are rarified , but far from unheard of , on the shoring of Australia . This is n’t surprising given the animal ’s preference for the warmer waters of the Pacific and Indian ocean .
But just last calendar month , a small waving of blue dragonshit the beaches of Florida — beautiful as they are , let ’s hope this is n’t the beginning of an invasion .
After learning about the amazingly venomous Glaucus atlanticus fuck as the down dragon , check out some of the mostbizarre ocean brute . Then , discover the mostbizarre facts about jellyfishand learn about the “ baby dragon ” that just cover in Slovenia .