Costasiella kuroshimae, also known as the “sea sheep”, is a snail about the size of a grain of rice that feeds on algae and can partially produce energy through photosynthesis, using chloroplasts taken from these plants. Although it is a tiny creature, it has an important role in maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems.
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) writes that the manatee lives in the shallow tropical waters of the western Pacific Ocean and eastern Indian Ocean, including Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Sea sheep are part of the Sacoglossa group of sea snails, which feed on algae. Instead of digesting them completely, they take over and keep in their own body chloroplasts, the cellular structures responsible for photosynthesis.
This process, called kleptoplasty, makes them some of the few animals capable of partial photosynthesis.
Chloroplasts are stored in leaf-like outgrowths on the snail’s back, where they continue to convert sunlight into energy for several days.
Above the eyes are two ear-like structures called rhinophores, which detect chemicals in the water and help them find food and navigate their surroundings.
Outgrowths have other roles besides capturing solar energy. Their green color camouflages them among the algae, and researchers believe they may also contain chemicals that protect them from predators.
Additionally, manatees are hermaphroditic, meaning that each individual has both male and female reproductive organs. However, they need a mate for reproduction and lay their eggs in the form of small spirals on algae.
Although they are very small, manatees play an important role in maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems.
They feed mainly on certain species of algae in shallow reefs and seagrass meadows, helping to control their growth.
At the same time, this species helps scientists better understand processes such as symbiosis, evolution and the surprising way some life forms can use energy.
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