A new sea slug has just officially joined the party, and if you're a fan of tiny, adorable things that also make you hungry, you're in for a treat. Discovered in Taiwan, Thecacera sesama is barely bigger than a sesame seed, translucent, and sports a rather fetching pattern of black and yellow polka dots. Hence, its very unofficial, but entirely accurate, nickname: the everything bagel slug.
Because apparently, that's where we are now. Our marine life is so tiny it's taking on the appearance of breakfast foods. Which, if you think about it, is both impressive and slightly terrifying.
The pint-sized slug was first spotted by then-undergraduate Ho-Yeung Chan back in 2019 while diving. He only realized he'd stumbled upon something new after chatting with sea slug expert Hsini Lin. Now, Chan is the lead author on the ZooKeys study that formally introduced T. sesama to the world.
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Start Your News DetoxThis little marvel clocks in at less than 0.12 inches long and spends its days doing what any self-respecting sea slug does: feeding, searching for a mate, mating, and laying eggs. All of this happens on bryozoans, which are tiny aquatic invertebrates that might also be a new species. It's a whole tiny ecosystem of new discoveries down there.
Studying these minuscule munchkins wasn't easy, and not just because they're practically invisible. Taiwan's Keelung coast is a bit of a drama queen, weather-wise. Summer brings typhoons, winter brings massive waves, making diving a viable option for only about a third of the year. Try finding a sesame seed-sized slug in a vast ocean when you only have a few months to look. It's less a research project, more a very specific treasure hunt.
Nudibranchs, the broader family T. sesama belongs to, are crucial to marine food webs and often boast some seriously vibrant colors. But many are so small they're practically ninjas of the deep. Researchers are convinced Taiwan's waters are hiding a whole lot more of these tiny, undiscovered species. So next time you're having an everything bagel, spare a thought for its adorable, polka-dotted namesake, quietly going about its business in the deep blue.
