It was an unusual day for the people of California as thousands of bizarre little creatures called ‘penis fish’ were spotted on Drakes Beach.
Yes guys, we aren’t making this up. These weird looking creatures are officially known as fat innkeeper worms and experts believe they were forced out of their underwater homes due to a recent storm; leaving them exposed to predators.
These slimy looking worms were first spotted by biologist Ivan Parr on December 6 after the storm hit the area and this is what he had to say about this unusual sighting:
The same phenomenon has been reported over the years at Pajaro Dunes, Moss Landing, Bodega Bay, and Princeton Harbor.
FYI, the fat innkeeper worm is a type of spoon worm with a spatula-shape limb, which it uses to both feed and swim. It lives underground in muddy and sandy parts of the sea floor and it can live up to 25 years.
They feed on bacteria, plankton and other smalls particles, which it captures using ‘slime nets’ that are consumed once they have caught enough food with it.
They are known as innkeepers because these worms can create U-shaped burrows as their temporary home, which are then used by other creatures. The burrow has a sand chimney shape to capture food and allow entry and exit.
These 300-million-year-old creatures go unnoticed beneath the surface but storms expose them by washing them away from their homes.
They often end up becoming food for seagulls, nuisance for beach-goers and are joked upon for their uncanny resemblance to a penis.