People have been warned to keep clear of a potentially lethal blue dragon sea slug that washed up on Karon beach in Phuket yesterday.
A photo of the mollusc was posted on the webpage "MonsoonGarbage Thailand" with a caption identifying the species of slug.
The host of the webpage forwarded a question to Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a well-known marine biologist, seeking in-depth information about the sea slug.
Mr Thon said later that Glaucus atlanticus is a dangerous marine slug beachgoers should avoid.
He said they feed on the Portuguese man o'war (Physalia physalis), a marine hydrozoan, or deadly jellyfish. The blue dragons use venom taken from the Portugese man o' war to kill their prey.
Mr Thon warned that exposure to a blue dragon can cause painful welts and dermatitis, which may be relieved by applying vinegar to the exposed skin.
Blue dragons are not normally found on a beach or near the shore. The fact that this one was stranded on Karon beach suggested it had been washed ashore as a result of currents.
It is not commonly spotted along the coast of Thailand, Mr Thon said, adding the slugs are typically found in the warm waters around Australia, South Africa or parts of Europe.
