A sea creature likened to the Stranger Things monster has been identified after a viral video of it left viewers baffled.
The bizarre creature appears to have been pulled from the water by an angler, though it’s not clear exactly where it was caught.
A video shared on TikTok by Nataliia Vorobok shows the animal flopping about on some decking, displaying one long tentacle and another two shorter appendages. The greyish-coloured creature appeared to have a gaping mouth, as well as gills where you might expect its eyes to be.
Take a look at the strange animal here:
Viewers were left entirely confused by the creature, with many desperate to find out what it was. One social media user described it as a ‘sea squirrel’, while others compared it to the slimey Demogorgon from Netflix’s Stranger Things.
The person behind the video was apparently just as confused as those watching it, as a voice can be heard saying:
Though the creature certainly looks like it could be from another planet, I can officially confirm it’s from Earth.
Experts at the charity Ocean Conservation Trust identified the sea creature as ‘some kind of elasmobranch’; a term which refers to cartilaginous fish such as sharks, rays, and skates.
Marcus Williams, Marine Animal Expert at the Ocean Conservation Trust, told UNILAD:
The expert’s comments suggest some TikTok users were along the right lines with their suggestions, as many claimed the creature was a ‘clearnose skate’ which had folded itself up to protect itself.
They are typically found inshore in the Atlantic, from Massachusetts to south Florida, and along the eastern part of the Gulf of Mexico.
It might have been more exciting if the creature was found to be some other-worldly visitor, but it’s nice to have the mystery solved. Hopefully the angler went on to put the animal back in the ocean, where it belongs.
The expert’s comments suggest some TikTok users were along the right lines with their suggestions, as many claimed the creature was a ‘clearnose skate’ which had folded itself up to protect itself.
According to the National Aquarium, the clearnose skate is flat and ‘shaped like a rhombus’, with a pointed snout, two wings and a tail ending in two small dorsal fins.
They are typically found inshore in the Atlantic, from Massachusetts to south Florida, and along the eastern part of the Gulf of Mexico.
It might have been more exciting if the creature was found to be some other-worldly visitor, but it’s nice to have the mystery solved. Hopefully the angler went on to put the animal back in the ocean, where it belongs.
