The Only Animal That Photosynthesizes Like a Plant

Added: 2026-05-27

The leaf sheep sea slug (Costasiella kuroshimae) is a tiny marine animal that practices kleptoplasty, a rare biological process where it pierces algae cells and extracts their chloroplasts, which are then embedded in its own tissues and continue to function, converting sunlight into food for the slug for weeks or months without the need to eat.