This Rare Slug Is Solar Powered!

#1 The Sheep Of The Sea Are The Cutest Slugs We've Ever Seen

This little sea slug known as the leaf sheep or, more formally, Costasiella kuroshimae certainly is stunning. Bearing an uncanny resemblance to a cartoon land sheep, the leaf sheep is a species of sacoglossan sea slug that has the unusual ability to photosynthesize.

#2 The Slug Actually Makes It's Own Enery

Leaf sheep retain the chloroplasts from the food they eat and use them to manufacture their own energy just like a plant would. The process, known as kleptoplasty, is only found in certain sacoglossan sea slugs.

#3 These 'Leaf Sheep Slugs' Are Rare Because They Are One Of The Only Creatures On Earth That Can Photosynthesis

What's fascinating about the tiny ‘leaf sheep,' which can grow up to 5mm in length and can be found near Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines, is that they are one of the only animals in the world that can perform photosynthesis (the others all belong to the sacoglossa sea slug clade). They get their energy from the food they eat, AND the sunlight that creeps into the deep waters.

#4 The Sheep Faced Slug Can Power Itself On Photosynthesis For Over A Month

While leaf sheep aren't particularly good at photosynthesizing, some species can live for months on photosynthesis alone. Which is incredible in the scientific sense. The phenomena is caused by a gene inherited by their parents, but if they do not eat the algae, the genes dies away and they do not get energy from the sun.

#5 When They Eat The Algae It Becomes Part Of Their Own Bodies

When they eat algae, they suck out the chloroplasts and incorporate them into their own bodies in a process called kleptoplasty. This process, which otherwise can only be performed by single-celled organisms, essentially makes them solar-powered slugs!

#6 The Sheep Slugs Also Come In Different Variations And Colors

This one looks like an artichoke. However, there are some that, depending on what they have eaten, can be multi colored or almost look like a butterfly has grown out of the back of a sheep.

#7 Their Beaty Eyes, Feelers, And Face Make The Appear To Be Sheep Looking

Baaa.. Baaa!

TIDBIT: This creature was the inspiration for the original Pokemon and Picachu characters.

#8 Sheep Slugs At The Bottom Of The Sea Tend To Stay Together In Groups When Not Looking For Food

They group together in the sand which make them look even more like sheep grazing. They eat about every 25 days or so, and then they slowly go on alone looking for algae to consume.

#9 Watch The Tine Sea Sheep In It's Own Habitat

If you need to see one in motion, here's a handsome leaf sheep roaming across a wide expanse of leaf.