Creatures washed up on beach

a148pro

For second time I have encountered a mass stranding on an achill beach - previously it was these little jellyfish with a sail, looked kind of like condoms

Yesterday saw loads of what appeared to be baby crustaceans inside a see through disc

Initially I thought the disc, about the size and shape of a large olive, was a piece of rubbish as it felt like silicone, but I noticed loads of them and when I picked up one I realized there was something living inside. This animal which kind of looked larval with a long tail like a wasp or hornet was inside. they had long thin front claws which it stuck out of the "olive" to defend itself. There were over a hundred washed up on the beach. Some had climbed out of the olive. In hindsight they were probably washed up unexpectedly and I should have thrown them back in.

Went back again today but only the olives left.

I do a lot of beachcombing and eat more or less anything that appears on a menu having come out of the sea, but I've never seen anything like this.

Anyone any ideas? Lobster the most likely judging from front claws but from reading online this isn't one of their life cycle stages.

Have video but hopefully the attached stills of use

magicbastarder

a148pro wrote: »

previously it was these little jellyfish with a sail, looked kind of like condoms

by the wind sailors?

Tiercel Dave

magicbastarder wrote: »

by the wind sailors?

Velella, a 'By The Wind Sailor', look quite different.....

a148pro

Tiercel Dave wrote: »

Velella, a 'By The Wind Sailor', look quite different.....

Think it was them alright

But more interested in this week's find

Thephantomsmask

Langoustine larvae perhaps?

a148pro

Thephantomsmask wrote: »

Langoustine larvae perhaps?

Possibly. Body shape definitely consistent with one of my favourite foods alright. Maybe a big storm washed them out of seabed?

corks finest

a148pro wrote: »

For second time I have encountered a mass stranding on an achill beach - previously it was these little jellyfish with a sail, looked kind of like condoms

Yesterday saw loads of what appeared to be baby crustaceans inside a see through disc

Initially I thought the disc, about the size and shape of a large olive, was a piece of rubbish as it felt like silicone, but I noticed loads of them and when I picked up one I realized there was something living inside. This animal which kind of looked larval with a long tail like a wasp or hornet was inside. they had long thin front claws which it stuck out of the "olive" to defend itself. There were over a hundred washed up on the beach. Some had climbed out of the olive. In hindsight they were probably washed up unexpectedly and I should have thrown them back in.

Went back again today but only the olives left.

I do a lot of beachcombing and eat more or less anything that appears on a menu having come out of the sea, but I've never seen anything like this.

Anyone any ideas? Lobster the most likely judging from front claws but from reading online this isn't one of their life cycle stages.

Have video but hopefully the attached stills of use

Little shrimp

a148pro

corks finest wrote: »

Little shrimp

I don't think so? shrimp don't have long front claws? also I see shrimp in rock pools all the time and this was a very different animal

ZX7R

a148pro wrote: »

I don't think so? shrimp don't have long front claws? also I see shrimp in rock pools all the time and this was a very different animal

Could it be a type of crill

a148pro

Definitely them - good find!

I knew they were spooky! Didn't trust them and was worried their tail might sting. Fascinating to think they had parasited the jelly fish.

Edit: according to this only three previous recordings of them in Ireland

https://news.causewaycoastcommunity.co.uk/local-news/hundreds-of-phronima-washing-up-on-whitepark-bay/

magicbastarder

definitely worth reporting to the national biodiversity centre so.

a148pro

magicbastarder wrote: »

definitely worth reporting to the national biodiversity centre so.

Tried but not entirely convinced the website toll the detail. Could be a great resource if more user friendly.

Anyway a selection of random pics of other stuff submitted included another alien from a beach in clare so maybe more common than I suggested above.

recedite

A string of the eerie-looking parasites called Phronima - which bear an uncanny resemblance to the alien queen in the iconic movies - have been found on Ventry Beach outside Dingle.
The creatures - which eat barrel jellyfish from the inside out and ride around in their corpse - are an extremely rare find in Ireland.

Well that's the weirdest thing I've heard of in a long time!
Good pics OP, well done for finding these little beasties in Achill and posting the pictures. They must have been floating all up the west coast last autumn.

New Home

magicbastarder wrote: »

definitely worth reporting to the national biodiversity centre so.

a148pro wrote: »

Tried but not entirely convinced the website toll the detail. Could be a great resource if more user friendly.

Anyway a selection of random pics of other stuff submitted included another alien from a beach in clare so maybe more common than I suggested above.

Email them if you prefer not to use their website - at least you'd be able to attach photos more easily. I found them very helpful in the-not-too-distant past, they told me they'd notify the Dept of Agriculture and other relevant bodies if my submission of an invasive species was found to be what I suspected it to be. Their address is: info@biodiversityireland.ie