Some of you might wonder what kind of marine creature is this with raising eyebrow?! Oh.. Well , i know this looks like part of human’s body.. it’s phallic shape makes people named them “penis fish”!
Thousands of “penis fish” have washed ashore on a California beach, but why?
The quirky marine life is officially called “fat innkeeper worms “(Urechis caupo), and an expert writes for Bay Nature that he believes a recent storm in the california Beach area is the reason so many of them mysteriously appeared on the beach.
This may just be the weirdest thing you've seen today!
Thousands of these marine worms, called fat innkeeper worms—or "penis fish"—washed up on Drake's Beach after a recent storm. 🌊 But why? https://t.co/MwY6xkN3kb pic.twitter.com/vGMpSvGoAT
— Bay Nature magazine (@BayNature) December 11, 2019
Ivan Parr, a biologist from the Western Section of the Wildlife Society, spotted them on Dec 6 and explains that the 10-inch fat innkeeper worm typically lives underwater, burrowing in mud or sand, but the storm likely carried them ashore.
“We’re seeing the risk of building your home out of sand,” he says. “Strong storms especially during El Niño years are perfectly capable of laying siege to the intertidal zone, breaking apart the sediments, and leaving their contents stranded on shore.”
The spoonworm, which can live up to 25 years, feeds and swims using its “spatula-shaped proboscis.” It typically eats bacteria, plankton and other small particles, which it collects using “sticky mucus nets.”
Found almost exclusively in California, they are themselves considered a culinary delicacy in South Korea, which has a reputation of sexual enhancer. Typically consumed raw, it’s chewy, salty, and surprisingly sweet. Netizen also shared their experience dined in China where they stir-fried it and described it taste like a clam.
At least we learned something today, “Fat innkeeper worms” aren’t fish and it’s edible. They’re also not very photogenic.. hehe
Source : NST