14 October 2023 , 06:15
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A beachgoer was left puzzling over an 'alien-like' sea creature which was spotted washed up on the shore.
The man was enjoying a day out at Dundee Beach near Darwin, Australia, when he noticed the bright blue sea animal in the sand. A picture, posted on Reddit by user 'im_peterrific', shows the bizarre life form with short, glossy tentacles and a shiny centre which could be compared to a disco ball.
Fellow Redditors were quick to react to the thread, titled Sea Thing Identified, which left many people scratching their heads as to what it could be. "Wow, never seen one like that before. It's usually big tides and storms that throw up interesting things," commented 'floranothim'. While '_Archerfish_' penned: "It looks artificial like a toy or something. Still wouldn't touch it though."
The man was enjoying a day out at Dundee Beach near Darwin, pictured, in Australia when he noticed the bright blue sea animal in the sand (Getty Images)Some joked it was an "aquatic blue waffle" or a "tin can lid". While others debated whether the sea creature was edible or not. 'Globeninja' said "nature's gummies. They make a nice spicy salad" while 'letterboxfrog' warned "don't eat it. It's blue".
Others posted speculative theories over what the blue creature could be, with one calling it "Poseidon's monocle" and another saying "it looks like mermaid currency." A third user commented "it could be a Darwin Man o' War" while another added 'if I'm in Australia and I see something like that, I leave the beach."
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The beachgoer was left puzzling over an 'alien-like' sea creature which was spotted washed up on the shore of Dundee Beach, pictured (Getty Images)Several Redditors identified the creature as a porpita porpita, also known as a blue button, which has a mild sting not lethal to humans but extremely poisonous to dogs. Similar to a jellyfish in appearance, the species floats on the water's surface and is carried by wind and ocean currents. It is found in warm waters off the coast of Europe, New Zealand and southern U.S as well as in the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean Sea.
Redditor 'Fijoemin1962' commented: "Porpita porpita, or the blue button." While 'harosokman' added: "I remember seeing thousands of them along a beach in Florida. Called a porpita porpita. And yes, they give a mild sting."