Leaf Sheep Wins 2026 Invertebrate of the Year in Global Vote

2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 20

Costasiella kuroshimae, a neon green sea slug known as the leaf sheep, won the Guardian’s 2026 Invertebrate of the Year after a global reader ballot drew hundreds of thousands of participants.
Chris Packham said the slug stood out for harvesting photosynthetic material from algae it eats, effectively building “its own solar panels” — the trait behind its “solar-powered” label.
A closer race than in past years saw Patagonia’s giant ginger bumblebee Bombus dahlbomii finish second, with the horseshoe crab third and the common woodlouse close behind.
The three-year-old competition aims to spotlight overlooked animals that make up about 97% of all species, with at least 1.7 million invertebrates described and millions more still undiscovered.
The leaf sheep lives in tropical waters around Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines and, though only described by science in 1993, has gained wider fame through macro photography and even Pokémon-inspired comparisons.