‘Alien’ creatures wash up on Tasmanian beach

A Tassie woman has jokingly announced an “alien landing” at her local beach after stumbling upon dozens of washed up creatures.

A Tasmanian woman has jokingly announced an “alien landing” at her local beach after stumbling upon dozens of creepy-looking creatures washed up on the sand.

During a coastal walk on Sunday, the woman spotted several of the semitranslucent, tubular creatures strewn about on the shoreline. The strange, squishy-looking tubes had brown-orange ends and were resting in large groups as well as interconnected chains.

The puzzled woman turned to social media in a bid to identify the unusual creatures, complete with pictures of her find that attracted much curiosity.

The woman stumbled upon dozens of the creepy-looking creatures on a beach in Tasmania. Picture: Facebook

She took to social media to identify the unusual find. Picture: Facebook

What are the creatures?

The creatures spotted on the beach are not aliens, but rather have been identified as sea salps — a type of marine animal.

Despite looking similar to jellyfish, they are classified as “sea squirts” and are related to all animals that have backbones. In fact, sea salps are taxonomically closer to humans than to their tentacled ocean-dwelling friends.

Unlike jellyfish, salps boast complex nervous, circulatory and digestive systems, complete with a brain, heart and intestines. They have two life stages — one in which they reproduce asexually, and one in which they are sexual organisms.

According to the Australia Museum, the animals are quite impressive. Picture: Australia Museum.

According to the Australia Museum, the barrel-shaped animals are quite impressive. They feed on plankton and algae, and move through the water using “one of the most efficient examples of jet propulsion in the animal kingdom” – meaning they contract bands of muscle that ring around their bodies, pushing them forwards.

The creatures often swarm the Southern Ocean surrounding Australia in their hundreds or thousands, sometimes creating long chains that hang in the water. At times, they wash up on shore, hence the Tasmanian local’s discovery.

The creatures were identified as sea salps, a kind of marine animal that swarms the Southern Ocean. Picture: Australia Museum

Interesting facts about sea salps:

• Sea salps are made up of 95 per cent water.
• Sea salps are believed to be the fastest growing multicellular animal on Earth.
• Sea salps can reach maturity after just 48 hours, increasing their body length by 10 per cent per hour.

Originally published as ‘Alien’ creatures wash up on Tasmanian beach