Striking Blue Dragon Nudibranch Sea Slugs Wash Ashore On NSW North Coast Beaches

A striking blue dragon sea slug that eats bluebottles and can give a powerful sting has been washing ashore and capturing the imagination of residents on the north coast of New South Wales.

Similar to bluebottles, the blue dragon nudibranchs float on the surface of the water and normally spend most of their time in the open ocean. Dr Gershwin said regular onshore winds along the northern NSW and Queensland coastline this summer had been washing them onto beaches. "Like bluebottles, they hang out right at the air/water interface, and are all floating, living as a community together, so when the wind blows it moves all of them," she said. "Every time we get a big swarm, or armada, of bluebottles washing in, the glaucus [nudibranchs] are usually with them as well." (The 'blue dragon' nudibranchs float on the surface and have been spotted on beaches and in rockpools in Port Macquarie recently.(Supplied: Michael Spooner)