Definitely not Nemo

Editor@gomag.co.za

SEBASTIAN SCHWABE (9) from Paarl writes: I recently found about seven of these interesting sea creatures washed up on the beach at Hartenbos. What is it?

Marine expert GUIDO ZSILAVECZ says: This is a sea swallow, a type of sea slug. It floats upside down, just below the surface – what you can see here is actually the “underside” of the animal.

It’s relatively rare to see one washed up on the beach. They’re an offshore species and only occasionally get blown into tidal pools or onto the beach.

The sea swallow is a specialised predator of bluebottles. It’s immune to their stings and actually ingests the stinging cells, which is uses it for its own defences. You can get stung if you pick one up, just like with a bluebottle.