Mysterious creatures that left people scratching their heads after being washed up on a Welsh beach have been identified.
The creatures were spotted by the family whilst they were on a walk in Llangennith (Image: Ruth Figgis)
Ruth Figgis, a regular walker, was out on a stroll with her husband and two children along Llangennith beach in South Wales when they noticed some unusual aquatic species.
Ruth took photos and posted them on social media to try and identify them, Wales Online reports.
Ruth said:”We went down to Llangennith and followed the tide out to walk down to walk out to Burry Holms, the island.”
“We love going down there and we make dens out of the driftwood on the beach. We timed it because we wanted to go out to the island. We found them in between the beach and the island in the rocks.
“We did notice, before we went over there, tons and tons of seagulls. The whole area was pretty much covered in seagull poo, so we wondered whether they had been eating them.”
Mrs Figgis said it was one of the most unusual things she and her family had spotted during their regular walks in the area.
“We’ve never seen something like that before,” she said.
“I really wanted to know what they were so I took some photos and shared them online. My initial reaction was maybe the seagulls had broken them out of shells, but there was no evidence of smashed shells around.
“It was freezing cold there and blowing a gale so there weren’t many other people around. We go to the beach all the time.
“We’ve got three dogs and never seen that before. We’ve shown it to family and friends who have also grown up here and they’ve never seen it before. I’m guessing it is something that has washed up through the storms.”
The Marine Conservation Society has now identified exactly what the creatures are.
Thyone fusus is a sea cucumber that buries itself in silt. Experts assume the heavy weather swept them out.
The creatures reside in caves, buried in muck, or in Modiolus shells. They are found all across the British Isles and range in size from 10cm to 20cm.
Their beautifully branching tentacles emerge from the dirt, and their bodies are soft and tapering at both ends, with a small tail.
According to Habitas, their tube-feet are dispersed throughout the brown body, which may be covered with shell particles. Their tentacles are usually basic brown in color, though they might be lighter or darker in various individuals. Spicules are four-holed plates with central spires that can be found all throughout the body.