Venomous ‘blue dragon’ found on Phuket beach

The blue dragon, which grows to no more than 4cm, is usually found in the middle of the sea and rarely seen in coastal areas. (Photo: Thon Thamrongnawasawat Facebook)
The blue dragon, which grows to no more than 4cm, is usually found in the middle of the sea and rarely seen in coastal areas. (Photo: Thon Thamrongnawasawat Facebook)

A blue dragon, a small but highly venomous type of sea slug, has been found on Karon beach in Phuket, according to pictures posted on the Monsoongarbage Thailand Facebook page.

The creatures are usually found in the middle of the sea and rarely seen in coastal areas, said Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a lecturer at Kasetsart University, in response to questions from the Facebook page.

In the case of Phuket, it might have been swept ashore by sea waves, Mr Thon said.

The blue dragon is a type of mollusc or sea slug known as a nudibranch. It feeds on other sea creatures, including the Portuguese man o’ war. It can sting as defence against predators.

The small creature rarely grows larger than 4 centimetres, but one sting can lead to nausea, pain, vomiting and a severe rash.

Mr Thon said the blue dragon can be found on the surface of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans in temperate and tropical waters throughout the world.

Those stung by a blue dragon will feel as if their skin has been pierced by a needle coated with poison. They are advised to apply vinegar to the wound, the same way to treat jellyfish stings.

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Vocabulary

  • creature: anything that lives except plants - สิ่งมีชีวิต (คน, สัตว์)
  • mollusc (noun): any creature with a soft body that is not divided into different sections, and usually a hard outer shell. Snails and slugs are molluscs - สัตว์จำพวกหอยและปลาหมึก
  • nausea: the feeling that you are going to vomit (throw up food from the stomach) - อาการคลื่นไส้
  • needle: a very thin, pointed piece of steel used on the end of a syringe for putting a drug into somebody's body, or for taking blood out of it - เข็ม(ฉีดยา)
  • poison: a substance that causes death or harm if it is swallowed or absorbed into the body - ยาพิษ
  • predator: an animal that kills and eats other animals - ผู้ล่า
  • rarely: not happening often - นานๆ ครั้ง, ไม่บ่อย
  • rash: an area of red spots that appear on your skin when you are ill or have a bad reaction to something that you have eaten or touched - ผื่นคัน
  • sting (verb): (past form "stung") if an insect, plant or animal stings, it produces a small but painful injury, usually with a poison, by brushing against the skin or making a very small hole under the skin - แมลงกัดต่อย
  • surface: the outside or top layer of something - ผิวหน้า, ผิวภายนอก, ด้านนอก
  • swept (past form sweep): moved quickly through an area; moved with powerful force - เคลื่อนไปอย่างรวดเร็ว, พัดพาเอาไป
  • venomous: producing venom (the poisonous liquid that some snakes, spiders, etc. produce when they bite or sting you) - มีพิษ
  • vinegar (noun): a sour liquid used in cooking - น้ำส้มสายชู มีรสเปรี้ยว
  • vomit: to empty the contents of the stomach through the mouth - อาเจียน
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