Alien sea slug turns into living solar panel by stealing algae powers

The lettuce sea slug (Elysia crispata) exhibits a remarkable biological phenomenon known as kleptoplasty, where it steals chloroplasts—the photosynthetic organelles—from algae and incorporates them into its own body. Instead of digesting these chloroplasts, the slug stores them in specialized sacs called kleptosomes within its intestinal system. These kleptosomes protect the chloroplasts, allowing them to remain functional and produce proteins, sometimes even incorporating proteins made by the slug itself. This enables the slug to harness solar energy directly, effectively turning it into a living solar panel and allowing it to survive for extended periods without food. Researchers also observed that the slug’s coloration, ranging from green to orange, correlates with its health and diet. Green slugs have abundant fresh chloroplasts, while orange coloration may indicate chloroplast digestion during starvation or a natural limit to chloroplast longevity. Beyond energy production, these stolen organelles might serve additional roles such as camouflage or predator deterrence. The study