New Zealand Anglers Net Strange Sea Creature
OutdoorHub Reporters 01.23.14
Stewart Fraser was fishing with his two sons near the waters of New Zealand’s Karikari Peninsula when something rather fishy caught his eye. It was not a fish at all but a strange, see-through creature that Fraser compared to a shrimp.
“I was in two minds whether to haul it in, but curiosity got the better of me and I decided to take a closer look,” the angler told the Daily Mail.
You can view pictures of the animal below:
After bringing it on board his boat, Fraser described the creature as a firm, jelly-like animal that felt like it had scales. The angler could not identify the species, and neither could his two sons, but experts say that the creature is actually a salpa that goes by the scientific name of Salpa maxima.
Salpae are marine invertebrates that move through the ocean by contracting and then pumping water through their bodies. They can be commonly found on the surface of cooler ocean waters, and collect in long colonies due to how they reproduce. Anglers fishing off the coast of Washington may be more familiar with these creatures, as there has been a large boom in the salpae population near the state.
Salpae are not considered dangerous, except for the fright they may give passing swimmers.
