Back to InboxCarnivorous Sea Slug looks for Prey in Mesmerizing Video
October 2, 2020, 11:34 pm -
Recreational diver Emeric Benhalassa captured this unusual scene on video recently at Puri Jati, off the coast of Bali, Indonesia. The footage was posted to YouTube on October 2nd, 2016. The creature's most striking feature by far is a large, balloon-like sac at the front of its body, which it uses to catch crustacean prey by casting the loose folds like a net to engulf its meal. Melibe viridis is a species of deep-water walking sea slug which interestingly uses an expandable oral veil to scan for prey as it moves along the bottom. When the sensitive papillae detect a crustacean, its usual prey, the inner edges of the veil quickly encapsulates it like a fisherman's cast net.