In Texas, an American found a blue kite on a beach. Not knowing that this creature was very dangerous, he picked it up and filmed it before putting it back in the water.
Eric Yanta is an American from San Antonio who vacationed in Texas on Mustang Island. While walking on the beach with his wife, he spotted a tiny blue and white animal, about 2.5 centimeters tall, clinging to a rock in the sand.
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“My wife saw a light blue shape and as we got closer we saw it was some kind of creature. I picked her up with sand in hand, not so much because I thought she was dangerous, but because she looked so small and fragile,” said Eric Yanta.
The man picked up the creature to examine and film it before putting it back in the water. He then posted his video on Reddit to ask people if they knew about this species.
A venomous blue dragon
Eric Yanta then learned that the animal he had encountered was a sea slug known as the “blue dragon”. This mollusc has a soft body, a light blue belly, and a silvery back. When in the ocean, he swims on his back: the blue of his body blends with the color of the sea, while the silver on the surface shines, allowing him to evade predators. This animal generally lives in the high seas but can wash up on beaches.
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While blue dragons are very beautiful animals, you must beware of them as they are among the most dangerous sea creatures in the world. The blue dragon is a venomous beast that feeds on physalia, a species resembling jellyfish. While feeding, the sea slug collects the physalia’s toxins to reuse against its enemies. Therefore, blue dragon bites can be very dangerous to humans, as simple contact can cause anaphylactic shock or death.
Photo credit: iStock
Unaware of the dangerousness of this creature, Eric Yanta was very lucky to escape unscathed by taking it in his hand. However, the man claimed that his gestures would not have changed if he had known of this species.
“I laughed a lot after discovering how dangerous it could be. I would have done the same. I would have picked it up anyway, filmed it and put it back in the water,” he said.