The beachgoer first assumed that it was a moss-covered pinecone
A man was left stumped after he came across a strange green, fluorescent object on the sand, thinking it to be some sort of an extra-terrestrial animal. 33-year-old Mike Arnott was taking a stroll along Portobello Beach in Edinburgh on Monday when he stumbled upon the strange creature, the Independent reported. The beachgoer first assumed that it was a moss-covered pinecone, but later he found the creature "alive".
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"I saw this fluorescent green thing with weird needles - I had no idea what it was. The bright green and gold colours drew me straight to it. I flipped it over and saw it had lots of tiny legs - I had never seen anything like it. It being an alien definitely crossed my mind - or I thought it might be something from way out in the deep sea," Mr Arnott told Edinburgh Live.
However, Pete Haskell from the Scottish Wildlife Trust dismissed his speculations and identified the animal as a sea mouse, a type of worm.
"It looks a bit strange being out of the water, but it's a type of marine bristle worm that's found all around the UK coast," Mr Haskell said.
The worm looked unusual and different from other marine animals because of its shimmering green and gold bristles. The bristles can also flash green, blue or red, to warn off predators. They can grow up to 30cm in length and feed on small crabs and hermit crabs and other worms.
A few days back, a photo of a mysterious sea creature lying ashore on a beach in Ireland also left the internet stumped. Many users said that the creature has pig-like features, while others thought that it resembles a "beheaded seal".
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