This Magical Sea Slug Has a Rare Talent Shared With Only Three Other Animals in the World
It wasn't long before this that we told you about the adorable sea slug Japan's fallen in love with, that literally looks like a hybrid between a bunny and a caterpillar.
Now, there's a new slug on the block. And not only does it have an incredibly rare capability, but it also strongly contends its counterpart on the cuteness scale.
Consuming a diet entirely comprised of algae, Costasiella kuroshimae can actually perform photosynthesis - and are one of only four animals capable of doing so (the others are also sea slugs, belonging to the sacoglossa clade).
When they eat algae, they filter out the chloroplasts and incorporate them into their bodies in a process called kleptoplasty. Essentially, this makes these little "leaf-sheep" solar-powered!
