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Lovele Pink Cheeks! :) Posted 9 months ago
It seems to the Taxanomist, there are some differences to Costasiella kuroshimae.
Among avid Underwater Macro Photographers, this one is fondly called - Pink Cheeks :D Posted 9 months ago
If this is the prettiest slug you’ve ever seen, you are not alone! This adorable creature is a sea slug in the genus Costasiella. They are called “Leaf Sheep” and “Shaun the Sheep” because their beady eyes, blushing cheeks, and smooshed faces make them look like cartoon sheep…that are wearing leaves.
They graze on algae, only grow to about 5 mm in length, and are native to the coasts of Japan, the Philippines, and Indonesia. In addition to looking like they wearing leaves, they have something else in common with vegetation: they can photosynthesize! Yes, really! They retain the chloroplasts from the algae they eat and store them in their bodies in a process called kleptoplasty. Then, they use the chloroplasts to manufacture their own energy—like a plant would! They are photosynthetic slugs, and they are so awesome! {Spotted in Indonesia by JungleDragon user, lidaalcaxar} #JungleDragon #Indonesia #seaslug #leafsheep #Shaunthesheep #Costasiella Posted 9 months ago