Social media users were shocked over an “alien” creature that washed ashore in Australia with some labeling it the “freakiest thing” they’d ever seen.

“I’ve never seen anything quite like this before!” wrote the sea denizen’s discoverer Vicki Evans in a post with a photo on a community Facebook page. “Nature never ceases to amaze!”

The beachcomber happened across the freaky flotsam while walking along Horseshoe Bay in Port Elliott, South Australia, The Advertiser reported.

Evans included photos of the oceanic oddity, which is long and riddled with gelatinous tendrils that are tipped with shells, like maritime hair-braid beads.

Many Facebook users were equally baffled by the vermicelli-esque tentacles, with one writing, “That might just be the freakiest thing I’ve ever seen!!”

“Wow, it looks long judging by scale of dog,” one said, referring to a curious pooch seen inspecting the creature in the photo…

  • Zachariah@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    21
    ·
    7 days ago

    As it turns out, the “aliens” were actually goose barnacles, a species of communal crustacean that attaches itself to floating objects, on wharves and piers, or even washed up on the shore, as was the case with the colony in question.

    • Jrockwar
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      8
      ·
      7 days ago

      Interesting. They are not that weird. In the north of Spain they are considered a delicacy, and a somewhat typical meal for Christmas. They’re absolutely delicious. 😋

      • Black DogOP
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        7 days ago

        Was I supposed to? I’m new to Lemmy, is that how it works here? I didn’t want to spoil the surprise!

        • cannedtuna@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          7 days ago

          No worries. The summary made it sound more sensational and like it was unidentifiable. I mean that’s the way the article was written but still the summary seemed incomplete or misleading without that line.

          Not really a lemmy thing, just how it read.

        • Hugh_Jeggs@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          7 days ago

          I don’t think people would mind.

          Bear in mind the NY Post is a tabloid shitrag like the Daily Fail and the headlines are designed to get clicks. Including the punchline in your summary would save people clicking