Are Sea Bunnies Poisonous? Everything You Need To Know About These Confusingly Cute Creatures

Ever Seen A Sea Bunny Before? They’re Strangely Adorable

Ok, so let’s just get the spoiler out of the way: Sea bunnies are not actually bunnies of the sea.

This round, fluffy, and tiny sea creature has gained popularity on the internet because it’s so darn cute. It has ‘ears’ and a fuzzy little ‘tail’ and has been hopping around in videos on social media garnering followers and fans.

But if it’s not a bunny, then what in the ocean is it?

What Is A Sea Bunny Anyways?Image: @justinetansh on Instagram

A sea bunny is actually a sea slug. They belong to a taxonomical order called ‘nudibranchs’, which includes around 3,000 other species as well.

These super cute sea ‘monsters’ are shell-less marine mollusks who actually let go of their shells when they’re in the larval stage. Their name translates from Latin as “having naked gills” because they have exposed breathing apparatuses.

In fact, the gills are located on the backside of the slug, and very much resemble the fuzzy cute tail of a little bunny.

Where Do Sea Bunnies Live?

Image: @prettyfishy25 on Instagram

You can find these fuzzy slugs in shallow waters of oceans around the world, but mostly off the coast of Japan, in the Indian Ocean, and also off the coasts of the Philippines.

What Do Sea Bunnies Eat?

Image: @treehuggerdotcom on Instagram

The ears of a sea bunny are actually rhinophores, which means they’re sensory organs that detect the chemical scents of the food they eat.

Because the ‘ears’ and body are so finely tuned at picking up on these chemicals, these dangerous little fuzzballs can source their food easily. As a result, the environments that they thrive in have a steady supply of toxic prey in the form of sea sponges.

When they eat these sponges, their specialized digestive system absorbs the toxins they can use to defend themselves, while getting rid of the rest.

The adorable nudibranch then incorporates these toxins from its food into its own body as its defence mechanism. Because of this, the slug is deadly for any other mollusc or crustacean to eat.

Are Sea Bunnies Poisonous?

Image: @ocean_warriors on Instagram

The cute little slugs of the sea are incredibly toxic, especially to the predators that would try to eat them. Because of this, humans should stay away from eating them at all costs. But why would you want to eat such a cute little water rabbit anyway?

Likewise, they’re not wise to pet, as you’ll just interfere with their sensory organs. And let’s be honest, they look fuzzy but they ain’t fuzzy.

There’s not much bunny-petting satisfaction here, sadly.

Can You Have One As A Pet?

Image: @syura_abdullah on Instagram

Part of the reason you cannot have a sea bunny as a pet is because they only live for a few months to a year. Because of this, it’s not very satisfying to have them in your aquarium.

In addition to this, they are not approved to be kept as pets by marine authorities. Because of their poisonous nature, they’d be bad news blues for the rest of your saltwater tank pals.

In addition to their poison and their short life span, they’re also super tiny so you can’t really see them anyways.