Special creatures

Yes, for the sea slug elysia chlorotica. Although it is an indisputable animal, this unassuming animal has green chloroplast cells in the algae it eats in its stomach, which allows it to obtain energy from sunlight just like a plant.

— Let the knowledge come more violently! ——

According to Living Science, a new study has found that the sea slug, which has a turquoise body, appears to be a hybrid of an animal and a plant — the first animal scientists have discovered that produces the plant pigment chlorophyll.

The nudibranchs appear to have acquired the genes from the algae they eat that make this skill a reality. Using "stolen" genes, they can photosynthesize – a process that plants use to convert sunlight into energy. Sidney Pierce, a biologist at the University of South Florida in the United States, said

This sea slug can produce energy-containing molecules without eating. ”

Pierce has been researching this unique creature, officially known as "Elysia chlorotica", for 20 years. He presented his latest findings at the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology in Seattle on January 7. The study was first reported in Science News magazine.

Turquoise sea slugs live in the salty flats of New England and Canada. In addition to the genes necessary for the production of chlorophyll, they also "steal" organelles called chloroplasts, which they use to carry out photosynthesis. Like plants, the chloroplasts of sea slugs use chlorophyll to convert sunlight into energy, so there is no need to eat food for energy.

"We collected some sea slugs and kept them at the aquarium for a few months," Pierce said. As long as we can get sunlight 12 hours a day, they can survive without food.

The researchers used radiotracers to ensure that the nudibranchs were actually producing chlorophyll on their own, rather than the ready-made pigment stolen from algae. In fact, sea slugs absorb this genetic material almost perfectly, passing it on to the next generation. The offspring of these nudibranchs can also produce their own chlorophyll, although they cannot photosynthesize until enough algae is eaten to obtain the necessary chloroplasts.

Chloroplasts are not produced by sea slugs on their own. The sea slug's achievement is a feat, and scientists still don't know how the animal steals the genes it needs. Pierce said

It is certainly possible for DNA from one species to enter the body of another, and these nudibranchs are a prime example. However, the exact mechanism is not yet known. (from the entry "sea slug").

There are many special organisms, and organisms have evolved different forms or behaviors in order to adapt to their environment.

Is this really the first time I've encountered it, and it won't be too fragile to become a competent one, and it will be broken and die when the external environment is unstable?