Hello:
A friend came across some strange marine creatures washed up on the beach
today at South Padre Island and we're trying to find out what the heck they
are.
Fleshy invertebrates ranging in size from about 1cm to 4 or 5cm attached to
a plastic film (ocean debris).
These organisms are about the size and shape of the inside of a scallop
shell but do not have a shell. The consistency is about like a cabbagehead
jellyfish but essentially opaque. When cross-sectioned laterally , there are
radially oriented striations visible at the outer edges of the cross-section
. The flesh is greyish, similar in color to an oyster.
When squeezed or stepped on, the organism ejects filaments of *bright* neon
orange (tentacles?) from what appears to be it's mouth.
Wished I'd had a camera with me - this is a very strange creature..
