'Would definitely get the heebie-jeebies': Internet baffled as resident finds strange 'glow in the dark' creature at harbor
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: One Sydney resident was completely baffled by his strange "glow in the dark" discovery and turned to social media to try to understand what on earth it was. The "curious" critter was purportedly covered in slime when it was discovered by the Sydney homeowner on March 8 as it lay against the gray pavement close to Sydney Harbour's water's edge. It had a stalk and many polyps at the end, giving it the appearance of being shaped like a saxophone.
"Can anyone identify this in and throughout Sydney Harbour waterways?" he asked on Reddit. Several people started to speculate on what the marine species might be, and many of them shared that they, too, had seen creatures in the vicinity with similar appearances. "I've been curious for years after catching a few myself," one wrote. "This is so interesting! I would definitely get the heeby geebies if I found that on my arm," another admitted.
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The creature has been recognized as a sea pen
The creature the Reddit user saw has been recognized as a sea pen, an invertebrate marine critter that is often submerged. One user gave some additional info about the fascinating creature, writing, "They have an inner stem that makes them long like that, and the top is a head of polyps for feeding. They can bioluminesce too - vivid glow stick green in the species we get over west near Perth."
The sea pen glows when touched
"They are relatively common in the eastern part of the harbour, well below the tideline, and so are usually only seen by snorkellers and divers," Dr Shane T Ahyong, the Head of Marine Invertebrates at the Australian Museum said. He told Yahoo News Australia that many of these animals, which are a sort of soft coral, may be discovered anchored in the sand at the bottom of the murky harbor. The sea pen is particularly interesting because it is "bioluminescent," or glows when touched, giving it an otherworldly aspect.
While the sea pen's polyps are eating, the light is thought to fend off predators and lessen the effect produced by other marine species. Fortunately for the Sydney resident who discovered the animal on the shore, the slime it secretes is completely safe, albeit being obviously unappealing.
