A woman exploring an Aussie beach made a startling discovery during her recent visit, admitting she’d never seen the unusual marine creature before and had “no idea what they were”.
Laura Vickery, from Freemantle in Western Australia, was visiting Parry Beach in the state’s Great Southern region when she noticed “Christmas bauble-like creatures hanging under the rocks”.
“We were just wandering along the rocks looking through the rock pools and at shells [when we] saw them under a rock,” she told Yahoo News.
Photos shared on social media show two shiny red blobs attached to the underside of a rock out of reach of the water. Laura said they were “maybe around 3 or 4cm long” when asking marine enthusiasts online what they could be.
They’re usually seen in a ‘contracted’ state (left) but when they open, their red tentacles are on show (right). Source: Facebook/Laura Vickery
Unusual marine creature identified by Aussies
To some, they were easily recognisable with many quick to identify the marine creature as a Waratah Anemone. It’s “the most noticeable species of anemone on Sydney’s rocky shores” the Australian Museum states. However, the Waratah Anemone is found throughout southern Australia.
The Waratah Anemone is most often seen in its “contracted globular state”, where all its tentacles and mouth region are drawn in, according to the Marine Education Society of Australasia. This is how Vicky discovered them this week.
The Waratah Anemone is found throughout southern Australia. Source: Australian Museum
When in this state, it looks like “a blob of dark brown jelly with a hole in the middle” and usually happens at low tide, which is when Laura found them.
“In this state, it has all its tentacles drawn in to minimise its exposure to the air while it waits for the return of the tide,” the Australian Museum states.
When open, however, they resemble a red Waratah flower, which is how it got its name. At high tide or in rock pools with plenty of water, the anemone opens out to feed, unfurling its beautiful red tentacles.
Others agreed it’s “so beautiful” with one admitting, “I love how anemones look all closed up”.
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