People walking along the beach were puzzled as they saw thousands of sausages wriggling on the shores on Thursday. Bay Nature magazine reported on the appearance of the phallic-shaped creatures shores calling them the 'fat innkeeper', or what they are colloquially called the penis-fish. The marine worm appeared on the beach as a result of the storms in the Drakes beach.
A resident told the Vice that they had no idea what it was and that it went on for miles. The seagulls were lining the beach having eaten the worm. Ivan Parr explained that the sea worms whose biological name is Urechis caupo, is a variety of the spoon worm seen in the Pacific.
The U-shaped worms of the Pacific
Parr also explained that the 10-inch worm lives underwater beneath the sand. The U-shaped worms bury themselves beneath the sand, far beneath the top layer of sand. the storm had lifted this layer and left these penile creatures exposed. These spoon worms live up to 25 years and moves and eat using its "spatula-shaped proboscis."
Over the years there have been reported sightings of this creature in California at Pajaro Dunes, Moss Landing, Bodega Bay, and Princeton Harbor. There is fossil evidence of this creature from 300 million years ago.
A delicacy of South East Asia
The worms eat planktons and bacteria using a sticky mucus net. According to certain countries, these creatures are turned into delectable meals as well. There are a few southeastern countries in Asia that eat these creatures. Koreans call them 'gaebul', and the Chinese have their version of a stir-fry just for this juicy dish.
There are a variety of spoon worms in the region of the Pacific.
