Marine creature cooks up chemical defense from food

Sea hare turns algal pigment toxic to ward off crabs and other predators

One beastie’s pigment is another’s poison. The marine-dwelling sea hare converts pigment from its food into a chemical weapon, a new study shows.

INKY WARFARE Ink made by the California sea hare (above) is laced with a chemical deterrent made from an algal pigment, researchers report.