Venomous blue dragon sea slugs wash ashore on Phuket’s Karon Beach

Beach goers and swimmers on Phuket are warned not to touch a small and pretty sea creature, called a blue dragon sea slug (Glaucus atlanticus), after a number were found washed up on Karon Beach.

According to the Medical Emergencies website, villagers living along the beach reported finding blue dragons again, after they had not been seen for two years.

While beautiful, the tiny creatures are venomous and can inflict a painful sting. Their venom can cause nausea, vomiting and intense pain. While unlikely to be fatal, some people can experience a severe allergic reaction and, in rare cases, death can occur, according to the website. It strongly advises people not to touch the creature.

No more than three centimetres long, blue dragons can be found on the surface of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans in temperate and tropical waters. Sometimes, they are washed ashore, standing out clearly against the sand. People who encounter them may be tempted to pick the tiny creatures up for a closer look, but doing so can result in a painful sting.

The Blue dragon does not produce venom itself, but it feeds on other aquatic creatures, primarily venomous siphonophores, such as the Portuguese Man o’ War, and stores its prey’s venom for defence or to subdue prey.