If you thought last week’s marine bunnies were adorable, here’s another underwater find that will have you saying “aww!” Costasiella kuroshimae (also known as “leaf sheep” and “Shaun the sheep”) is a sacoglossan sea slug with beady eyes and a flat face that resembles an appealing cartoon sheep. With drooping feelers and a phosphorescent, leaf-like body, this tiny beauty could be the cutest slug in the sea!
Costasiella kuroshimae, which may reach a length of 5 millimeters, is found near Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines. They feed on green algae and exploit the chloroplasts in their meal to produce their own energy through a process known as kleptoplasty. Leaf sheep, one of the world’s only non-plant species capable of photosynthesis, may survive for several months on the energy supplied via kleptoplasty.
The Costasiella kuroshimae (called Leaf Sheep) is a sea slug that resembles a cartoon sheep.
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