🍃 🐑

Kinda but not quite:

Costasiella kuroshimae are capable of a physiological process called kleptoplasty, in which they retain the chloroplasts from the algae they feed on. Absorbing the chloroplasts from algae then enables them to indirectly perform photosynthesis.[6]

Source: Costasiella kuroshimae

And I'm pretty sure there are also jellyfish that live in symbyosis with algae that they carry along with them which photosynthesize, creating sugars for the jellyfish.
- homo sapiens is known to use photosynthesis through symbiotic relationships with various grasses to create sugars, lipids, and proteins for itself
So vampire photosynthesis.
That’s metal af.
- Or rogue photosynthesis.
  Also metal af
I mean honestly? If you're not even keeping full cells from the prey, I think we can give it to them. Lil guy, you can photosynthesize. No need to bother them with the asterisks.
The really interesting thing about costasiella kuroshimae is that its digestive system branches and goes up into all of those 'leaves', which is how the algae makes its way there to have its chloroplasts extracted.
kleptoplasty
I like how it's appropriate to call it "-plasty" twice (first in the referring to chloroplasts sense, and then again in the plastic surgery sense).
So it's MegaMan?

This is a god damn Pokemon.

- YES

Before you fantasize how this could be used in humans in the future, producing that single thought cost more energy than leaf sheep produce via photosynthesis in their lifetime - feeding of it requires energy efficiency any warm-blooded animal just isn't suited for.

Still cute though.

Not chlorophyll, but retinol. Purple solar powered humanoids.
- The human of the future:

Pass. Charmander would wreck this guy.

I doubt that seeing is how this thing lives in the ocean
- Charmander is a great driving force of global warming, this poor thing will be extinct in the blink of a great many eyes.
- Agreed, this feels like a water pokemon that can learn solar beam/solar blade, absorb, giga drain, etc.
- Lol, grass types live in the forest.
RIght? Was literally in the middle of calling it a Pokemon when I saw this.