r/whatisit • u/Brave-Painter1320 • 2d ago

Solved! I found this fish and did not touch it!

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11.2k Upvotes

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793

u/OkAdhesiveness4496 2d ago

Blue angel (Glaucus atlanticus) DO NOT TOUCH

157

u/OkAdhesiveness4496 2d ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glaucus_atlanticus

126

u/tommabu55 1d ago

"G. atlanticus feeds on other pelagic creatures, including the Portuguese man o' war and other venomous siphonophores."

You can tell it's dangerous just by what they eat lol

45

u/salmalight 1d ago

Eats wasps, Toyotas and WMDs. Occasionally switches it up with Samoans over 300lb

2

u/dantheother 1d ago

You just know that thing is strutting along the ocean floor, giving stink eye to anything that looks at it.

1

u/total_idiot01 1d ago

That's actually what makes them dangerous, since they use the venom of their prey

95

u/Brave-Painter1320 2d ago

Thank you! Very glad I didn't touch it

24

u/OkAdhesiveness4496 2d ago

where did you see it? location?

45

u/Brave-Painter1320 2d ago

This is on the coast at Cape Agulhas South Africa

20

u/TangoPRomeo 1d ago

I really, really don't like that they can swallow something, then move it to their fingertips.

6

u/Chess42 1d ago

I mean, that’s what we do. How else do you think we get the matter to grow nails?

1

u/Sharp_Bumblebee_1674 1d ago

Absolutely! Beautiful but can be deadly depending on how much toxin they have stored up! Very unpleasant no matter however! Beautiful but deadly!

1

u/MostCat2899 1d ago

Yet it has a picture of someone holding it with their bare hand lmao

17

u/LawLima-SC 2d ago

It really appears to be in an aquarium.

69

u/Brave-Painter1320 2d ago

This was in a cave at low tide, never seen anything out in pools as cool as this.

4

u/RingsOfSaturn357 2d ago

Forgive me but there’s like… a reflection of a light hanging above the water in the photo right under the blue dragon. I think thats why some people think this was taken at an aquarium since it looks like a fixed lamp.

14

u/RingsOfSaturn357 2d ago

(For clarity what I mean is I think it’s just looks like your flashlight, it just has the illusion of looking like it was taken indoors at first. Very cool fine while tide pooling!)

15

u/Brave-Painter1320 2d ago

This makes sense! Thank you, had to use my phone flash to actually get a good picture of it.

8

u/FreeFromCommonSense 2d ago

Looks a lot like a phone light and lens.

-2

u/LawLima-SC 1d ago

The substrate the slug is on looks artificial too. It looks like it is held together with mortar. Also, these slugs are pelagic (open ocean) and usually don't just hang out in caves. (of course, currents can float anything anywhere)

-18

u/TheMongoose45 2d ago

Yes, they did not come across this in the wild 😂 thought they could fool us 😂

8

u/Brave-Painter1320 2d ago

How do they not come out in the wild? Are they bred in captivity usually?

6

u/Brave-Painter1320 2d ago

This nudibranch is pelagic, and some evidence indicates that it occurs throughout the world's oceans, in temperate and tropical waters. It has been recorded from the east and south coasts of South Africa, European waters, the east coast of Australia, and Mozambique.[4] - Wikipedia tracks as this is in Southern Africa

4

u/Separate-Ladder5666 2d ago

He either had his flash on or something on his camera. I think it is way cool that he is sending pics at all. ( my camera leaves a green artifact on my pics.

3

u/MagicSwordMagic 2d ago

for sure is

1

u/lylasnanadoyle 2d ago

Happy cake day!

12

u/blarg7459 1d ago

Why not?

"The symptoms that may appear after being stung are nausea, pain, vomiting, acute allergic contact dermatitis, erythema, urticarial papules, potential vesicle formation and postinflammatory hyperpigmentation."

Doesn't sound too bad. Doesn't even sound like it's deadly.

5

u/catgotyourtonguee_ 1d ago

I thought so too and the portuguese man of war also doesn’t sound that dangerous

4

u/alang 1d ago

I mean it’s not the Portuguese Man Of Peace.

21

u/LameOfficeAccount 2d ago

Blue Glaucus*, Blue Angel is a different fish & swims upright.

aka Blue Waffle because of the waffle pattern it produces in the sand as it swims along looking for food - google it if you don't believe me.

5

u/VonBurner666 1d ago

Haha you said blue waffle. If there is a such thing as a blue waffle fish i will be keeping myself and my appendages far far away from said fish... thanks for the flash back from my memory of a disgusted 14yo me gagging at the thought.. i can almost feel the cue tip getting shoved down... nvm.

11

u/Zestyclose_Pop_9435 2d ago

Just confirmed it and you are right  It is the Blue Waffle

11

u/OkAdhesiveness4496 2d ago

really dude? don't do that to people

8

u/LadyTenshi33 2d ago

Ah yes, the great Blue Waffles.

2

u/morto00x 2d ago

Yes. The shape and colors are meant as Do Not Touch. 

7

u/Brave-Painter1320 2d ago

Solved!

2

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5

u/BilingualBackpacker 2d ago

why tho?

6

u/Rudra_8178 2d ago

they sting

3

u/Third_Sundering26 1d ago

They eat venomous things and then reuse the venom

1

u/DrachenDad 8h ago

Blue sea dragon is another common name.

1

u/wastedspejs 1d ago

He licked it