Because of this special ability, they’re also affectionately referred to as “solar-powered sea slugs.” These adorable glowing critters belong to a special order of sea slugs called Sacoglossa, all of which can photosynthesize. Close-up of a Costasiella kuroshimae, taken off the coast of Batangas, Philippines. This process then enables them to photosynthesize. When they consume it, they suck the chloroplasts out of the algae in a process called kleptoplasty. How do they do this? Leaf sheep’s primary diet is sea algae. Photo: Mike Workman.Īlthough they are not plants, Costasiella kuroshimae exhibit one key plant-like characteristic: They can perform the process of photosynthesis, which is the process by which plants can use sunlight to create energy from carbon dioxide and water. Leaf sheep are among the few sea creatures who can photosynthesize. Kuroshima is known for its crystal clear waters and it’s where the leaf sheep was first discovered in 1993. The kuroshimae part of the leaf sheep’s name comes from the Japanese island Kuroshima, which is off the coast of Taiwan. They are also referred to as “sap-sucking sea slugs.” Costasiella indicates the genus name of all sea slugs belonging to the sacoglossa group. Leaf sheep’s scientific name, Costasiella kuroshimae, is a combination or Latin and Japanese. Their scientific name is a combination of Latin and Japanese. Here’s a video from Catrin Pichler that shows leaf sheep ( Costasiella kuroshimae) in action, under the sea:Ĥ. To some, they remind them of succulent plants, like aloe vera. Yet, even at this size, their physical appearance is incredibly detailed. Leaf sheep are only about a fourth of an inch, or a little over 5mm long. The leaf sheep’s rhinophores have fine hairs that sense chemicals in the water, enabling them to find food sources. Leaf sheep have rhinophores on their heads that look like the ears of a sheep in perspective to their faces. What looks like sheep’s ears are actually scent and taste receptors. Along with leaf sheep, nudibranchs are another species of sea slug. Sea slugs are closely related to gastropods, such as sea snails and mollusks, with the main difference being that they don’t have shells. However, they come in a wide variety of shapes and colors. A term used commonly to describe marine invertebrates, sea slugs resemble terrestrial slugs. Leaf sheep are actually a species of sea slug. They are called leaf sheep, but they’re neither leaves nor sheep. Here are some interesting facts about leaf sheep: A pair of Costasiella nudibranchs, or leaf sheep – a species of sea slug, on an algae leaf. If I was to say to you that I had a gift for you that I made by hand and it’s super cute and a cross between a light-up aquatic plant and a sheep, your first thought might be, “Ugh, who will I be able to re-gift this to?” But once you see a living leaf sheep and learn more about them, you’ll realize just how stunning and special they are. Depending on whom you talk to, they’re also call them sea sheep, leaf slugs, and bunny slugs. Also known by their scientific name – Costasiella kuroshimae, they are actually a species of sea slug. Leaf sheep are so beautiful that they don’t seem real. This animal model method of testing mitochondrial function could be extremely useful in things like cancer drug research, as well as things like diabetes, oncology, aging, nutrition, and neurogenerative diseases.Leaf sheep (costasiella kuroshimae.) Photo: Mike Workman. The brighter they are, the more luciferin in the mitochondria, the better the mitochondria are functioning. Studying mitochondrial function is then as simple as measuring how bright the mice glow. "In a completely darkened room, you can see the mice glowing, just like fireflies," says Elena Goun. The team developed two molecules that, when injected into mice, pass into the mitochondria and cause them to produce luciferin, making the mice glow. So! To do that, (EPFL professor and the paper's lead author) Elena Goun and team used mice genetically modified to express luciferase, the enzyme that produces light when combined with another compound called luciferin - which is exactly how fireflies glow. Testing that membrane is why scientists had a need to make mice glow. That membrane relies on a difference in polarity known as "membrane potential" and when membrane potential drops, it can be indicative of a problem. Like cells themselves, mitochondria have a membrane that filters materials entering and exiting their structure. Their work was published today in the journal Nature Chemical Biology. To better investigate mitochondrial function, a team of researchers from Switzerland's Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne developed a method to make mice glow in the dark, like fireflies. Mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell - but if something dampers their output, it can be difficult to determine why.
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