Blue dragon: This is the poisonous ‘fish’ that has arrived in Spain

He climate change brings all sorts of unconventional animals to the Spanish coast. Some of them, like the salps that have recently invaded the beaches of Cantabria, are completely harmless. But there are others, like blue dragonwhich are indeed poisonous. Not many, but enough that the presence of a single specimen recently led to the closure of a Canary Island beach.

Unlike what happened with the salps, this is not the first time this animal has been seen on the Spanish coast. It is quite unusual, but in some cases the currents have forced it to pass along the Atlantic coast, as is now happening in the Canary Islands. Yes, its presence in Mediterranean SeaHowever, in 2021, several specimens were spotted on the beaches of Alicante.

In any case, it is very strange to see a blue dragon in Spain, especially near the coast, since they are usually found in the open sea. What happens to it then? And, more importantly, now that we seem to be encountering them more often, should we be afraid of their bite?

The blue dragon is not a fish, even though it looks like one.

Many people classify blue dragon (Glaucus Atlanticus) like a fish, because of its appearance when swimming. However, it is a mollusc without a shell. Something like a sea slug, only much more graceful. It is also known as a tern because of the presence of wing-like structures.

measure alone 3 centimetersIt may be small, but it is a bully. It is estimated that it can eat prey 300 times its size. It is very curious where it gets its venom from, since it extracts it from its victims, usually jellyfish and Portuguese man-of-war. It extracts their venom and stores it for future attacks on other jellyfish, so you could say that “it pays them back in their own coin.”

Fortunately, even though it contains the venom of such a dangerous animal as Portuguese caravelIt does not pose a great risk to humans, since it does not secrete it with the same efficiency. First, it does not usually attack people unless they disturb it. But even if it does, the sensations will not go beyond the friction of a normal jellyfish.

It’s logical, as it happens with jellyfish, the situation This can be difficult if we have allergies.. So if you have any allergy symptoms such as difficulty breathing or inflammation that goes far beyond stingYou should go to the emergency room as soon as possible.

So why did they close the beach?

If there are any new developments on the beaches, such as the presence of unusual species, it is important to investigate what is going on. It is also clear that the blue dragon is experiencing some difficulty. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have seen it so close to the beach. In fact, in the case of the Alicante beaches in 2021, all specimens were found on the sand.

So this was done not only because of the risk it may pose to humans, but also to better study the blue dragon. But, logically, also to avoid contact with humans. These animals are often they are swimming in groups, so even if only one was spotted, it is quite possible that there are more.

The population is asked to be vigilant and if you see a blue dragon in the water, do not touch it or notify rescuersThey will alert the relevant authorities.

How does climate change affect the blue dragon?

There may be many reasons why we are seeing more blue dragons on our coasts. One of the most important issues, as always, is climate change.

There are several ways this can help remove them from their natural habitat. For example, big storms They can drag them far from the open sea, even running them aground, as happened in Alicante.

It is also possible that the increasingly obvious warming up sea water forces them to move closer to the coast, perhaps because their own prey has been displaced and they need to feed.

Luckily, the red dragon is still not in danger of extinction. But it is important to take care of it, because climate change is not making life easier for it. If you see them, enjoy their beauty, because they are not easy to find. But enjoy them from afar, without touching or disturbing them, and do not forget to notify the nearest rescuer about it.