Glaucus from Pensacola, Florida

February 4, 2002
From: Elvira Davis

Can you please help me identify this sea creature? It was found washed up on the shore of Pensacola Beach in NW Florida, USA just 2 days ago [30 Jan 2002]. Attached is a pretty pitiful sketch of it -- I'm no artist! It is about 1 inch long and there were many of them washed up on the shore along with many Portuguese man-of-wars. Thank you!
Elvira Davis

Stelda91@cs.com

Davis, E., 2002 (Feb 4) Glaucus from Pensacola, Florida. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/6171

Dear Elvira,
Your 'artwork' is excellent and certainly allows me to identify your find as Glaucus atlanticus. Have a look at the Fact Sheet for more information. This strange nudibranch spends its life floating upside down on the surface feeding on Physalia - the Portuguese man-of-war, which in Australia is commonly called 'the Blue-bottle'. Like most aeolid nudibranchs, Glaucus takes the stinging cells (nematocysts) from Physalia for its own use. It stores them in special sacs (cnidosacs) at the tip of the finger-like processes (cerata) down each side of its body.

Have a look at the other messages on this page for more information on this animal which is found in most oceans of the world.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (Feb 4). Comment on Glaucus from Pensacola, Florida by Elvira Davis. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/6171

Factsheet

Glaucus atlanticus

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