Written by Many believe that the leaf sheep sea slug is a made-up creature because of how magical it looks. Let me tell you a fact: it is real.
Its scientific name is Costasiella Kuroshimae. Common names it goes by are the sea sheep, leaf slug, bunny slug, and sap-sucking sea slugs.
Many people mistake one for a succulent like Aloe Vera. The scientific name Costasiella Kuroshimae is a mix of Latin and Japanese.
Although it is called the leaf sheep sea slug, it is not a leaf or sheep. It just looks like one.
The sea slug is a marine invertebrate that is closely related to gastropods and mollusks. They are crossbreeds of light-up aquatic plants and sheep nudibranchs.
Their “ears” are actually taste receptors/rhinophores.
They Are Solar Powered Slugs!
Leaf Sheep have a very special, almost magical power. They are the only complex animal with multiple cells that can actually make food from the sun, just like plants! They do this by eating parts of a plant that perform photosynthesis and incorporating these special cells called chloroplasts into their body. This very unique ability is called Kleptoplasty.
Note: The “solar powered slug” bonus information was added by KidzNet editors. Special thanks to @esie who mentioned this ability in another KidzNet article about them.
That’s all for my article, bye!
