Its scientific/Latin name is Elysia chlorotica, but this Slug from the Sea has been called many other things. Scientists are excitedly clapping their hands together about the SOLAR POWERED SEA SLUG! The Kleptomaniac sea slug! The HALF PLANT HALF ANIMAL!
Elysia chlorotica look like leaves but are actually animals. When they eat algae for breakfast lunch and dinner, they’re not “…simply stealing what they need…from the algae. They’ve also stolen the recipe for how to make chlorophyll, a chemical that is vital to the process, and can make chlorophyll themselves. In other words, they have started to behave like their food. “
Imagine being able to feed yourself just by lying in the sun. No messy cleanup! Do you think that photosynthesis can make dessert?
Read more at: science news for kids
