INVASION OF THE MAN-OF-WAR SNATCHERS

Yikes! Venomous blue dragons wash up on Texas beaches

By Ed Payne

7 KLTV
May 14, 2020

What will these strange times bring next?

First it was the pandemic, then murder hornets.

Now, we must contend with venomous and otherworldly looking blue dragons from the Gulf of Mexico.

Some of the inch-long sea slugs have washed up at Padre Island National Seashore.

“Blue dragons are very small … but don't let their size fool you, they have a defense worthy of the name dragon,” a Facebook post from the national park said.

These sea slugs are a predator of the Portuguese man-of-war, which ocean swimmers know can pack an excruciatingly painful sting.

Blue dragons take the stinging cells from the man-of-war after their meals and move them to their extremities.

“Because they are able to concentrate the stinging cells together, their sting can be more painful than a man-of-war's!” according to the national seashore post.

The good news: The little creatures are rare.

“So, if you see a dragon in the park, be amazed as they are a rare find, but also keep your distance!”

EDITOR'S NOTE: From Padre Island National Seashore:

A blue dragon, a type of nudibranch or sea slug, was found in the park this weekend. Blue dragons are very small, generally only 3 cm, but don't let their size fool you, they have a defense worthy of the name dragon.

Blue dragons are a predator of the Portuguese man-of-war. After eating, they move the stinging cells from the man-of-war to the end of their "fingers." Because they are able to concentrate the stinging cells together, their sting can be more painful than a man-of-war's!