Lettuce Sea Slug
Tridachia crispata
Sighting evidence at Sandy Island, Antigua and Barbuda
The vivid green lettuce sea slug is abundant in the shallows around Sandy Island, grazing on algae in the seagrass beds and on the rubble patches adjacent to the coral. This sacoglossan species harvests chloroplasts from algae and incorporates them into its own tissue to photosynthesize, one of the few animals capable of this feat. Their bright ruffled margins make them a favourite macro photography subject in the site's clearest shallows.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Lettuce Sea Slug is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.