Bizarre Sea Serpent Washed Ashore on Irish Beach: What Is It?

Another mysterious sea creator was washed ashore. The bizarre animal was found on an Irish shore and social media users were confused about what exactly it was.

Since they had a hard time identifying it, some decided to dub it the "forbidden churro."

(Photo : Roberto Pillon/Wikimedia Commons)
Bizarre Sea Serpent Washed Ashore on Irish Beach Some Dubbed 'Forbidden Churro': What Is It?

Reddit Users Suggest The Creature Was A Forbidden Churro

One Reddit posted a photograph of a skinny bendy creature on the platform and asked for assistance recognizing it.

"Can anyone help me identify this sea creature? Just found it washed up on a beach in Ireland," the person who found it asked, per Daily Star.

Some Reddit users suggested that the man found a cornetfish. Another joked it was a "forbidden churro," referring to a deep-fried cinnamon snack that looked like the creature's ridged and elongated body.

Another speculated (per The Independent) that the unknown sea monster, long and brown in color, might be Snorkel Snake from Super Mario.

Some individuals, per Mirror, believe it was a dead or dehydrated "needlefish."

Needlefish are thin marine invertebrates with a single dorsal fin that live in shallow waters, as their name suggests. However, they are thicker than sea creature posted on Reddit.

Meanwhile, some speculated that it might be a part of another bigger animal. One said it could be a "scorpion's tail" while another person said it was probably part of a string ray.

Was It a Pipefish?

Fortunately, after considerable investigation and comparing the snap to many aquatic species, one individual was able to solve the puzzle by identifying it as a pipefish. The person who shared the photo agreed because when he searched about pipefish, the results showed like the one he uploaded.

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"You're right! Just looked that up and it looks identical. Thanks for your help. I don't know much about marine biology and really appreciate it," said the person who originally posted the photo (per NDTV).

Pipefish is a tiny fish subfamily related to seahorses and seadragons, according to the British Sea Fishing Association. The bigger pipefish could grow up to 18 inches long and weigh roughly 140 grams, and can be found around the western coasts of Britain and Ireland.

According to British Sea Fishing, these creatures have unusually long and thin bodies. The nose is quite long, with the mouth at the very end.

Pectoral and tail fins are quite tiny, and there is just one dorsal fin in the body's center. Above the head, there is a high crest.

The fish's body is inflexible and covered in relatively hard scales and ridges that function as a form of armor. Its color ranges from light brown to yellow/green, with 10-20 darker stripes along the length of the body.

Other Mysterious Sea Animals

More mysterious sea animals washed ashore on a beach on the opposite side of the planet earlier this year, attracting attention.

According to The Independent, an Australian man shared a photograph of an "alien-like" critter he saw on the Sunshine Coast. Last year, bizarre creatures were spotted on beaches across the United States, sparking local attention and making rounds on social media.