The sea also has its protector, and just as blue dragons are usually identified as one of the four guardian spirits of Japanese cities, “the blue butterfly of the” returns.
Originally from the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the blue dragon returns to the waters of the Mediterranean after three centuries, although experts speculate that its appearance could be related to
A strange visit
The dragon with its striking blue color, flattened trunk with three pairs of “feathered wings” and its ability to float upside down on the surface, better known as blue dragons or Glaucus atlanticus), makes its presence in the Mediterranean Sea.
The species belonging to the family of nudribranch gastropods and whose natural habitat is the open sea, mainly due to its search for warm and temperate waters, was recently found in Orihuela and Torrevieja. That is why its appearance on the Mediterranean coast is considered an exceptional event.
Although, it does not mean that they cannot do it, thanks to their small size and their ability to stay floating on the waters, it is easier for them to move on the waters, which has contributed to them being able to cross the Strait of Gibraltar to appear, again. , in the Mediterranean Sea.
The researchers explain that “given the tropicalization process that is taking place in the Mediterranean Sea, it would not be surprising if new specimens were soon sighted, since among their prey are common inhabitants of the Mediterranean.”
Glaucus atlanticus is a pelagic mollusk that floats upside down by using water’s surface tension. It feeds on other pelagic creatures, including the venomous Portuguese man o’ war
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973)
Characteristics of Blue Dragons
Blue dragons have very peculiar behaviors, but this is due to their characteristics for survival and shape, the origin of their size.
- Are marine neustonic animals, That is, they remain on the surface of the water. In order to achieve this, they store air in their stomach, letting themselves go.
- In front of their head they have two extensions called rhinophores, with them they can smell and taste, as well as detect the direction of water currents.
- Are from small size, some species are 3 centimeters long, and others are barely 1 centimeter long.
- As its name indicates, it is color blue, It combines this color with silver stripes that work surprisingly to blend in with its surroundings. They float on their backs and swallow air to float. In this ventral area they are blue to blend with the color of the sea. Face down they have white lines that simulate the sun’s rays entering the water.
- His shape is elongated with three pairs of “feathered wings”, They also attribute the name of blue angel to him. They use the surface tension of water to keep them open.
- The reproductive system of the blue dragon is hermaphroditemeaning that they have both male and female organs in a single individual.
Are blue dragons poisonous?
No, they are not poisonous, but their bite can cause hives in humans. Because their diet is cnidarian animals, that is, dangerous and poisonous animals such as Portuguese jellyfish, it causes blue dragons to accumulate in their stomach the chemicals from the poisonous animals they ingest.
Its bite in humans can produce a burning sensation with pain, but in no case is it fatal. According to researchers, they are capable of concentrating in their tissues the stinging cells characteristic of the species they consume, which is why they are usually perceived, incorrectly, as one of the most poisonous nudibranchs on the planet because the Portuguese man-of-war is among their prey, despite They only use the sting to defend themselves.