November is a great time to practice gratitude. I am so grateful that Nudi Gill is now available for pre-order!

I am also grateful to you for reading my blog. Today I have a special guest. Everyone’s sweetheart…

Costasiella Kuroshimae

Costasiella Kuroshimae is not a nudibranch, but I felt like they had to be included in this series of pin-ups, because come on…. look at that face! The beloved Sea Sheep is in fact a sacoglossan sea slug. These little cuties are solar-powered and prefer a modest diet of algae. Here’s a little pop quiz for you:

In attempt to keep you from seeing the answer, I will bombard the page temporarily with adorable images of Sea Sheep.

Take a look at some Sea Sheep in action:

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READY FOR THE ANSWER?

Actually, algae is neither plant nor animal. It falls into its own category called protists. Likewise, the Sea Sheep falls into its own category of cuteness.

BAAAAAAAA!

These vitamin-sized cuties are small. They range from 5mm to 1cm in length. They are kleptoplastic which means that they feed on algae and can store the algae’s chloroplasts in their cells. This is how they are able to photosynthesize energy and nutrients from sunlight.

They were originally discovered in Japan. Their scientific name Kuroshimae refers to Kuroshima, Japan. It is a small southern island not too far from Taiwan. Since then, Sea Sheep have been found in other locations, including Indonesia, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Northern Australia, and Singapore.

HEY, Next time you have trouble sleeping…

try counting Sea Sheep!

I hope you enjoyed oohing and awwwing over November’s sheepy sweetie of a supermodel pin-up, Costasiella Kuroshima. Stay tuned for December’s festive pin-up. You won’t want to miss it!

Gratefully yours,

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NOW Available for pre-order!

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