Costasiella kuroshimae—also known as a "leaf slug",[1] or "leaf sheep"[2]—is a species of sacoglossan sea slug. Costasiella kuroshimae are shell-less marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the family Costasiellidae.[3] Despite being animals they indirectly perform photosynthesis, via kleptoplasty.[4]
Just look at that little homie.
this little guys probably like "mmmmm, yum, the sun is extra nutritious today"
How do they do it? Did chloroplasts evolve in them independent from plants, or is it like mitohondria thing where it started as some kind of symbiosis?
according to this article, its through kleptoplasty-- they eat algae and absorb the chloroplast of the algae into its own cells. the article claimed this is likely due to horizontal gene transfer from algae to sea slug of transcription factors necessary for the chloroplasts to function
I wish I could steal plant organs and then incorporate them into my own body
That lil guy looks just like a cartoon sheep, that's absolutely delightful
there are other species suspected of doing the same, I would bet goddamn money that green aphids are capable of it as well
IIRC there's is a type of salamander that does the same thing.
What a lovely creature, it's so cute! Suckin in the suns rays, munching some photons, truly a noble beast
Oh....my.....GOD! The middle ground for omnivores and vegans!
https://manoa.hawaii.edu/exploringourfluidearth/biological/aquatic-plants-and-algae/structure-and-function/weird-science-kleptoplasty
TIL.
Man. Life is incredible. Every now and then I read about some awesome creature doing something weird or different and I'm just like, damn...
Only the other day I found out lichen was a colony of fungus, plant and yeast and not just a single organism.
