This is the blue dragon (Glaucus atlanticus), a tiny sea slug about 3 centimeters long that lives in temperate and tropical waters in various oceans.
Its blue and silvery colors, along with its wing-like appendages, give it an extraordinary appearance.
But its most surprising feature is not its appearance, but its ability to use other animals’ weapons.
According to the University of Texas, the blue dragon feeds on venomous creatures such as the Portuguese man o’ war, whose stinging cells normally paralyze their prey.
Instead of being affected by them, the small mollusk stores them in special structures on its appendages.
This allows it to defend itself with stinging cells that, when concentrated, can deliver a very intense sting.
It also has a gas bubble that allows it to float upside down on the surface of the ocean.
Experts warn that it should never be handled, even if it washes up on a beach.
Proof that some of the most beautiful creatures on the planet can also hide extraordinary defenses.