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© Sylke RohrlachBlue glaucus aka Blue Dragon
A strange and seldom-seen sea creature has made a rare public appearance.

This is the Blue Dragon - or glaucus atlanticus - which was caught on camera after washing up on Australia's Gold Coast.

The bizarre-looking creature is in fact a sea slug, and feeds on blue bottle jellyfish - otherwise known as Portugese Man O' War.

While the jellyfish has a powerful sting that can severely injure humans, the Blue Dragon is unaffected by the venom.

In fact, the Blue Dragon packs a fairly nasty sting of its own.


Kylie Pitt, a marine life expert from Griffith University in Queensland, told the Gold Coast Bulletin: "They are really weird.

"The glaucus eat blue bottles - they float upside down and move around using the water's surface tension.

"I have handled them before and wasn't stung, but I would not recommend anyone pick them up because they can have a painful sting."