A MYSTERIOUS creature with glowing spikes has been spotted crawling along a UK beach, leaving locals horrified.
The alien-like animal was seen by a conservation group as it wriggled slowly along the shore in Sussex.
AlamyA strange looking creature was found in Rye, Sussex, crawling along the beach[/caption]
Rye Harbour Nature Reserve/Sussex Wildlife TrustThe alien-like animal turned out to be a Sea Mouse – a chunky marine worm[/caption]
The strange critter was identified as a Sea Mouse which tends to live on the sea floor, but was washed up on the coast of the village Rye due to bad weather.
Rye Harbour events organiser Sarah Watson said: “This furry creature is a Sea Mouse, a chunky marine worm.
“About 15cm long and rarely seen, but in winter, storms can wash them up on the high tide line.
“Look closely among its duller bristles to see a shimmering, iridescent fringe.”
The Sea Mouse’s vibrant bristles can glimmer blue, green, and gold, making it look like something straight out of a sci-fi film.
They can grow up to 30cm and while they are common on UK coasts they’re rarely seen in person, often laying buried head-first in the sand.
As creepy as they look the spiky Sea Mouse isn’t harmful to humans, despite being an active predator.
The sharp-looking creature feeds on crabs and other worms while under the sea bed.
They’re also not particularly fast and won’t be chasing you down any time soon.
Commenting on a video of the creature, Sarah said: “The video is sped up to be three times faster than real life.
“Clever engineering aside, sea mice are rather slow.”
Sarah assured locals that the unique animal found at Rye Harbour nature reserve was popped safely back into the sea.
They usually are found in the Atlantic and Mediterranean so it was no surprise people were shocked when it was spotted on the beach.
People have been sharing their reaction to the bizarre animal online.
One user joked: “Looks like somebody has dropped their toupee.”
Another added: “I ‘d just keep well away and make sure I kept my shoes on.”
A third user simply wrote: “OMG.”
The scientific name for the Sea Mouse is Aphrodita aculeata.
This was inspired by Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of Love, according to the Wildlife Trusts.
What is a Sea Mouse?
Sea Mice are a type of marine worm that are often found washed ashore after storms
It’s an active predator and will hunt crabs and other small worms to eat
These curious critters can reach up to 30cm but on average are around 7-15cm long
Sea Mice have small iridescent bristles which can make them appear blue, green, and gold
Their scientific name is Aphrodita aculeata – inspired by the Greek Goddess of Love Aphrodite
Sea Mice are common but spend most of their time on the sea bed buried head-first
Rye Harbour Nature Reserve/Sussex Wildlife TrustSea Mice are named after Aphrodite – the Greek goddess of love[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
