#pandapandapanda

Panda, Panda ⁠
Panda, Panda, Panda, Panda, Panda ⁠

There are two distinct types of pteropods—those with shells and those without. The shelled pteropods produce a net of sticky mucus to passively collect and eat marine snow. Though they may look and sound cute, the pteropods without shells—like this Notobranchaea macdonaldi, also known as the panda bear sea angel—are all carnivores and, as far as we know, feed solely upon the shelled pteropods.⁠

These carnivorous pteropods have sets of curved hooks and suckers or sticky tentacles that are tucked inside the animal’s head when it’s not actively feeding. When these feeding structures come into contact with a shelled pteropod, they grasp and pull the prey out of its shell. We don’t yet know how they locate their prey, especially because they don’t have eyes. They likely use something similar to a sense of smell, or they may just swim around until they happen to bump into their favorite snack. ⁠