Costasiella kuroshimae—also known as a “leaf slug”,[1] or “leaf sheep”[2]—is a species of sacoglossan sea slug. Costasiella kuroshimae are shell-less marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the family Costasiellidae.[3] Despite being animals they indirectly perform photosynthesis, via kleptoplasty.[4]
Just look at that little homie.
goals
It’s so pretty
That lil guy looks just like a cartoon sheep, that’s absolutely delightful
there are other species suspected of doing the same, I would bet goddamn money that green aphids are capable of it as well
IIRC there’s is a type of salamander that does the same thing.
How do they do it? Did chloroplasts evolve in them independent from plants, or is it like mitohondria thing where it started as some kind of symbiosis?
They’re dirty little thieves!
according to this article, its through kleptoplasty-- they eat algae and absorb the chloroplast of the algae into its own cells. the article claimed this is likely due to horizontal gene transfer from algae to sea slug of transcription factors necessary for the chloroplasts to function
I wish I could steal plant organs and then incorporate them into my own body
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That’s so interesting! Thanks for sharing
nods sagely in 40k ork sorta
What a lovely creature, it’s so cute! Suckin in the suns rays, munching some photons, truly a noble beast
Oh…my…GOD! The middle ground for omnivores and vegans!
So friggin cute!!! 🥺
nature’s jus’ wild, man
Man. Life is incredible. Every now and then I read about some awesome creature doing something weird or different and I’m just like, damn…
Only the other day I found out lichen was a colony of fungus, plant and yeast and not just a single organism.
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Wish I could photosynthesize
TASTE THE SUN
this little guys probably like “mmmmm, yum, the sun is extra nutritious today”
