I don’t know who needs to hear this, but DONT take conch shells or large snail shells from the ocean!!!!! If you are snorkeling, wading, scuba diving, whatever, LEAVE THE SHELLS! You may think it’s empty. It’s most likely not.
One time I, a marine biologist, found a beautiful conch shell while snorkeling. I had 2 of my professors check that it was empty (2!!!) and guess what? I still woke up the next day to a dead, stinking hermit crab that had tried to claw its way out of my drawstring bag overnight. Hermit crabs are excellent hiders. This animal died needlessly, and what for?? A pretty shell to put on my shelf?
TLDR; DONT take “empty” conch shells from the ocean. They’re not empty.
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Listen to me, boy. You will hear about sea slugs. You will enjoy sea slugs
Costasiella kuroshimae / leaf sheep. Discovered off the coast of Japanese island Kuroshima in 1993, they can indirectly perform photosynthesis by absorbing chloroplasts from algae
Cyerce nigricans. The cerata can be easily cast when disturbed. They can also swim by powerfully flapping said cerata when strongly stimulated. I think they look like butterfly wings!
Jorunna parva / sea bunny. They are covered in papillae, which are fleshy protuberances used for sensory functions. It looks like fur!
Glaucus atlanticus / blue glaucus. They are rarely seen, except during periods of on-shore winds which brings them and their prey into coastal waters. They are the most dangerous sea slug to handle, able to give humans a very painful and potentially dangerous sting
Chromodoris lochi / loch's chromodoris. They are spongivores, and prefer being on the underside of overhangs on rocky reefs. Their distribution is widespread in the Indo-Pacific. Everyone I show sea slugs to seems to love this little guy
Dirona albolineata / white-lined dirona. A translucent predator that often eats bryozoans and small snails. They generally reside on rocks and sometimes mud in the intertidal. Pretty little things, they remind me of shards of glass
Phidiana hiltoni / Hilton's Aeolid. They are known for being quite aggressive, often biting and fighting other aeolids, which is so real of them. They always reminded me of lit matches
Acanthodoris lutea / orange-peel doris. Its bright aposamatic colouration is a warning to predators of its distasteful toxicity. They also notably smell of sandalwood! You don't understand. I NEED to hold one
Nembrotha kubaryana / dusky nembrotha. They use the toxins in their prey ascidians to defend themselves against predators. The toxins are stored in their tissues then released in a slimy defensive mucus when alarmed. Nembrotha kubaryana are well-known for their neon appearance
Phyllodesmium poindimiei / Spun Of Light. It's primarily nocturnal and can cast its cerata for protection. Anyway, can we all agree that Spun Of Light is the most awesome name for a sea slug ever? I mean, look at it. That's a sea slug spun of light if I've ever seen one
Conclusion: sea slugs are the creatures ever
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Final pages of The Ocean Soul are available for members to read! That's a wrap everyone 🥹
Read pages 61-64 here
As of now, I'll be taking a break from work until January, when I'll pick up TOS again to format pages for public posting. That won't happen until late Feb, so if you want to read the last chapter now, check out my patreon!
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It's my birthday month!
To celebrate, I'm having sales through the month of October on books and prints:
15% off books with code BDAY23
10% off prints with code TUPFMYG
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━━━━━━⚘ᥫ᭡᭄∘˚დ━━━━━━
🤍 ‿A lighthouse is not interested in who gets its light! It just gives it without thinking! Giving light is its nature!⁀🤍
Mehmet Murat ildan
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When destined, two souls will inevitably unite, regardless of the vast distances that may separate them – be it mountains or oceans. The divine plan unfolds flawlessly, bringing them together as effortlessly as the lips on one's face.
— wordsbyhisheart
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