Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

22nd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Magic Wands

Phyllodesmium iriomotense, a solar-powered nudibranch, glows with iridescence as it wields its golden cerata. This sea slug ingests algae and stores the chloroplasts in its cerata, using the algae's photosynthesis for energy. The algae live on happily in their living "greenhouse"!

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.2024
Date Uploaded: 12.2024
Photo Location: n/a, Indonesia
Camera: NIKON D850
Copyright: © JillAnne McCarty