With their vibrant blue coloring and wing-like fins, blue dragon sea slugs are truly stunning creatures that capture the imagination. If you’ve seen photos of these tiny aquarium dwellers gliding gracefully through coral reef tanks, you may be wondering – can I have a blue dragon sea slug as a pet?
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: yes, blue dragon sea slugs can make for unique and rewarding pets for experienced aquarists. They have very specific care requirements, but their alien-like appearance and peaceful demeanor make them well worth the effort.
An Overview of the Blue Dragon Sea Slug
Taxonomy and Physical Characteristics
The blue dragon sea slug, also known as Glaucus atlanticus, is a small species of sea slug that inhabits tropical and temperate oceans around the world. Despite its name, the blue dragon is not actually a true slug but rather a pelagic aeolid nudibranch.
This means it floats upside down on the ocean’s surface rather than crawling along the seafloor like other slugs.
The blue dragon stands out for its vivid blue and silver coloring. Its tubular body can grow up to 1.2 inches long and is edged with finger-like cerata that contain stinging cells used to capture prey. When threatened, the blue dragon can swim away by undulating its body.
It navigates and orients itself using two rhinophores located near its head.
As a nudibranch, the blue dragon lacks a protective outer shell. Its soft body is fortified by incorporating stinging cells from the prey it eats, like the Portuguese man o’ war. This makes the blue dragon itself toxic to predators.
Native Habitat and Behaviors
The blue dragon has an extensive range and can be found drifting in warm ocean waters around the globe. It is native to the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans but populations also exist in temperate areas like the southern coasts of Australia and South Africa.
These sea slugs spend their entire lives adrift at the surface of the open ocean. Their cleared bodies and silver undersides camouflage them against the water’s surface when viewed from below. If stranded on land, the blue dragon quickly perishes from lack of food and an inability to orient itself properly.
Blue dragons are carnivores that feed on venomous siphonophores like the Portuguese man o’ war. They store stinging cells from their prey in the cerata along their bodies. When threatened, blue dragons can release these stinging cells to deter predators.
Their silver undersides also serve to dazzle potential predators.
Very little is known about the reproduction and life cycle of the blue dragon. It is thought they reproduce by male members leaving sperm bundles for females to pick up. The free-floating larvae likely go through a brief planktonic stage before developing into juvenile sea slugs.
Blue Dragon Sea Slug Care Requirements
Proper Tank Setup and Water Parameters
Blue dragon sea slugs, also known as glaucus atlanticus or blue glaucus, require specialized tanks to thrive in captivity. Ideal water parameters include a salinity of 1.023 to 1.025, temperature between 75-80°F, pH of 8.1-8.4, and plenty of water movement provided by powerheads or aeration (stable water quality is crucial).
The tank should hold at least 30 gallons of water per animal. Work closely with a qualified reefer when setting up the habitat.
These exotic pets prefer an established reef tank with ample live rock for foraging and hiding. The rockwork provides surfaces for growth of sponges, bryozoans, and other organisms glaucus fancy feasting on. Lots of overhangs and caves should be included.
Feeding and Diet
Feeding blue sea dragons requires providing plenty of natural prey options. Offer live foods like brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, amphipods, copepods, and rotifers multiple times per day. Target feed near the animals’ hiding spots using turkey basters.
Supplement with pieces of scallop, squid, oyster, mussel, shrimp, and krill.
Another feeding technique involves using coral frag plugs covered in Spirulina powder to encourage wild food growth. Hang these “blue dragon lollipops” near overhangs and caves before introducing the animals. Make sure no tank inhabitants, like crabs, snack on foods meant for the slugs.
Tank Mates and Compatibility
Select docile tank mates for best success (avoid aggressive species prone to stinging). Peaceful options include mushroom anemones, soft corals, Pygmy seahorses, flasher wrasses, clownfish, Banggai cardinalfish, cleaner shrimp, scarlet reef hermits, turbo snails, serpent sea stars, and sand-sifting species like gobies.
Introduce tank mates slowly and provide plenty of hiding spots and foraging opportunities.
Typical Behavior in Captivity
Blue glaucus exhibit amazing behaviors when acclimated to life in captivity. These otherworldly slugs crawl upside down along the water’s surface thanks to a flattened outline and air-filled body (giving them an alien-like appearance).
They hunt passively by floating with oral arms dangling downward to detect food using chemoreceptors. Expect them to hide often tucked into crevices or under ledges.
Mating and successful rearing of captive-bred offspring remains extremely rare. But given ideal tank conditions, blue dragons may lay pink egg ribbons on tank walls near the surface. The ribbons can contain up to 30 eggs each.
How to Acquire a Blue Dragon Sea Slug
Finding a Reputable Seller or Breeder
When looking to obtain a blue dragon (Glaucus atlanticus) sea slug as a pet, it is crucial to find a reputable seller or breeder. This amazing little creature requires specialized care, so getting one from an ethical source is a must.
A great option is to contact universities or aquariums with marine biology programs. Oftentimes, they breed blue dragons and may have some available for sale or adoption. Facilities like the Aquarium of the Pacific work with conservation partners to ethically breed endangered species like the blue dragon for educational initiatives and display.
There are a few online retailers that specialize in marine life like blue dragons. Be sure to thoroughly research any company before purchasing animals from them. This guide provides tips on choosing a responsible online source.
Look at reviews, check for sustainability certifications, and ask questions on care requirements to vet them.
Purchasing Your Sea Slug and Acclimating It
Once connected with a trusted seller, you can acquire your new blue dragon sea slug. Prices typically range from $20 to $60 depending on the animal’s size and age. Expect to pay the high end for larger, mature specimens.
You may also need to secure any required permits depending on your state’s exotic pet laws.
When your sea slug arrives, allow it to gradually adjust to its new home through proper acclimation. This helps avoid shock from changes in water chemistry. Float the closed bag in the habitat water for 15-30 minutes before netting your pet out.
Observe its initial swimming and floating movements to ensure it can remain upright.
Give the blue dragon plenty of leafy structures and surfaces on which to rest its unique transparent body and delicate cerata (stinging tentacles). This open-ocean drifter prefers ample room to drift and glide majestically!
Transporting and Quarantining New Specimens
If purchasing your blue dragon from a specialty breeder or store more than a few hours away, specific transportation steps should be taken. The seller can prepare the animal for the move by fasting it for 24 hours beforehand to prevent motion sickness issues.
Use an insulated foam container lined with cooling packs to keep water temperatures stable during transport. Place the sea slug in a securely closed plastic bag partway filled with seawater. Surround this with more cooling packs to maintain a consistent 50-80°F. Limit transport times to under 6 hours.
Upon arriving home, set up a separate 10+ gallon quarantine aquarium. Observe the new blue dragon here for 4-6 weeks, monitoring for any signs of disease or parasite introduction. This best practice protects the health of existing tank residents.
The Joys and Challenges of Keeping Sea Slugs
Their Peaceful Nature and Lovely Appearance
With their brightly colored bodies and slow, graceful movements, sea slugs like the blue dragon can make captivating additions to saltwater aquariums. Many species are quite small, reaching just a few inches long, and they peacefully meander around tank décor.
Blue dragons in particular display intricate blue and black lines on their bodies reminiscent of ocean waves. Their leaf-shaped cerata give them an exotic look. When kept healthy, sea slugs gently sway with tank currents and confidently explore their habitat.
Their Sensitive Care Needs
While visually appealing, sea slugs do come with specialized care requirements. Water parameters like salinity, alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium must be tightly maintained. For species like blue dragons that rely on symbiotic algae, intense aquarium lighting is also essential.
Sea slugs only eat very specific marine invertebrates, depending on the species and life stage, such as sea anemones or Portuguese Man o’ War. Supplying adequate prey is vital yet can prove difficult.
Planning and Commitment Required
When considering pet sea slugs, substantial research and planning are needed regarding tank setup, diet, water changes, and testing. Be prepared to spend 30-60 minutes per day on sea slug caretaking duties.
While fascinating to observe, sea slugs are reserved and delicate pets suited only for devoted aquarists. Casual hobbyists should carefully weigh if they can manage such pets. That said, for experts who put in the effort, the joys of sea slug keeping offer immense rewards.
Are Blue Dragon Sea Slugs Right for You?
Best Suited to Advanced Aquarists
Blue dragon sea slugs (Glaucus atlanticus) are exotic marine creatures that require very precise care. As such, they are mainly suitable for seasoned aquarists who have experience maintaining challenging tanks.
Beginners may find it difficult to provide the exact water conditions, nutrition, and other habitat needs to keep blue dragons healthy.
Specifically, blue dragons need a mature, established saltwater tank with stable water parameters. Ammonia and nitrite levels must be 0 ppm. Nitrates should be kept under 20 ppm, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 1.023-1.025, and temperature 72-78°F.
Strong water movement and places to securely anchor to surfaces are also a must.
These creatures are carnivorous hunters that feed on hydrozoan colonial jellyfish like the highly venomous Portuguese man o’ war. As such, they require a constant jellyfish supply, which is hard to maintain steadily. Only keepers ready to put in this feeding effort should acquire them.
Can Thrive Under Proper Care
That said, in the right tank under an experienced aquarist, a blue dragon can thrive. Its brilliant blue and silver tones will make a striking highlight. And its specialized hunting behaviors like netting prey with its oral webs can be endlessly fascinating to observe.
In fact, one 2007 study published in PubOcean found the average blue dragon life expectancy to reach 9-12 months with diligent care. Some exceptional specimens lived over 2 years – a respectable longevity for such a delicate creature.
So blue dragons can certainly prosper long-term and develop strong interactive personalities when properly maintained. Patience and vigilance are key, however.
An Opportunity to Cultivate Something Rare and Wondrous
Ultimately, deciding to care for a blue sea dragon is choosing to closely nurture something astonishing yet demanding. But the profound reward of cultivating these strange creatures can outweigh the challenges for the passionately devoted aquarist.
If the idea of hand-rearing an obscure, beguiling species appeals to your sense of commitment and discovery, a blue dragon may prove deeply fulfilling. Just be sure you can provide this exotic animal the high standard of care it deserves.
Conclusion
While blue dragon sea slugs demand pristine water quality and a very specific diet in order to stay healthy, they reward dedicated aquarists with their graceful movements and vibrant colors. If you have plenty of experience keeping challenging marine species, have a mature reef tank ready for a few new occupants, and are excited by the prospect of cultivating these otherworldly creatures, a pet sea slug may be right up your alley.
With attentive ongoing care, your blue dragons can live for up to a year and brighten your underwater world every day they glide through it.
