A MOTHER has discovered a mysterious slimy sea creature while litter picking on a popular beach.
Chloe Heuch made the repulsive discovery of several strange critters hiding under a coffee cup lid which had been lying on the sand.
Chloe Heuch found the slimy creatures under a coffee cup lid, but did not know what they wereCredit: Chloe Heuch / Media Wales
“The plastic lid was upside down in the wet sand – it looked as though it had been dropped,” Chloe said.
“I picked it up to put it in the bin not realising realised there were creatures inside.”
The teacher and author uncovered the blob-like creatures while walking on Llanddona beach in Anglesey, Wales, with her daughter.
At first, the pair assumed they were sea slugs, but decided they were not sure what the odd animals were.
“I was a bit surprised by their weirdness,” she said.
“My daughter touched one gently as she didn’t believe me they were alive, and it sort of shrank into itself a bit.”
After Chloe posted the images on social media, an underwater photographer clarified the creatures were sea squirts, specifically a large type called Ciona intestinalis, reports North Wales Live.
Sea squirts are common in shallow waters surrounding the UK, though they are considered an invasive species.
They are soft, tubular organisms which are characterised by their pale, semi-transparent body and can grow up to 20cm in length.
Chloe took pity on the strange creatures and decided to leave them be.
“I left it where it was, which I felt bad about, but I didn’t want to upset them,” she said.
“They did seem very happy. There were a few of them in that tiny space!”
The photographer who identified the squirts explained in his comment: “Opportunistic colonisers of almost any surface that hasn’t got something else growing on it.”
“They’re much prettier when expanded and filter feeding. Totally harmless but can aggregate in huge quantities.”
