Slugs aren’t normally known for their cuteness but recently, this Jorunna parva, which is a species of sea slug, has risen to fame because of its ability to make even the toughest of people melt because of its sweetness.
This little cutie-pie only grows up to two centimetres long, and looks a lot like a little bunny because of its “pointy ears” and “fluffy tail”.
The small ears are actually rhinophores, which help the slugs taste and smell chemicals whilst it wriggles along in the water. Like your regular land bunny, it looks furry, but the fur is actually the slug’s cerata. The cerata has a couple of useful points, one being that it helps the slug breathe. The slugs breathe through their skin, and the cerata extends their surface area, allowing them to take more in.
Their digestive system also extends to the cerata, which means if one of these tough cookies eats a stinging celled animal, they can “collect” the stings, and use them on any animals that get too close to their personal space. That would be a really handy tool to have.
I think we can all agree that the Jorunna parva may just be the cutest sea slug that any of us will ever see! (Who said travel insurance can’t do cute stuff?!)