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Environment

‘You’d want one as a pet’: the irresistibly cute solar-powered sea slug

The Guardian UK Wednesday 05 August 2026, 11:00 UTC By Patrick Barkham 1 min read
Key Points

The beady-eyed, Pokémon-like leaf sheep is far more ingenious than us land mammalsRevealed: the top 10 invertebrates of the yearInvertebrate of Year Q&A: discuss our countdown with Patrick BarkhamA neon green punk sheep that lives underwater. A solar-powered slug that can perform photosynthesis. If you are seeking beauty, brains and a wonderfully innovative lifestyle, then vote leaf sheep.

The beady-eyed, Pokémon-like leaf sheep is far more ingenious than us land mammals

A neon green punk sheep that lives underwater. A solar-powered slug that can perform photosynthesis. If you are seeking beauty, brains and a wonderfully innovative lifestyle, then vote leaf sheep.

The leaf or sea sheep, Costasiella kuroshimae, is a sea slug about the size of a grain of rice. Like a sheep, it grazes on green stuff – certain species of algae, which it finds in tropical waters around Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines. But its sheepy nickname does it a disservice because it is far more ingenious than us land mammals.

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Pokémon (ORG) Patrick (PERSON) Costasiella (PERSON) Japan (LOCATION) Indonesia (LOCATION) Philippines (LOCATION)
Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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