Heaven or Hell? Thousands of "Finns" washed up on the California coast and harassed locals
Photos of thousands of bulbs found lying on a beach in California have been making a lot of noise over the internet in recent days. While some were jealous of the locals and called the place "women's paradise," others rushed to explain the bizarre phenomenon and discovered the nauseating truth
Heaven or Hell? Thousands of "Finns" washed up on the California coast and harassed locals
YOUTUBEThe bizarre phenomenon seen this week on the California coast may be a fantasy of masses of women (and men), but it is completely far from it. At first glance, it seemed that thousands of male Finns had been washed ashore - which, of course, greatly alarmed locals. However, these are not really severed male genitals, nor are cargo of sausages that fell from a ship in the sea as many thought - but pulsating "penis fish" that have existed for some 300 million years and are considered a delicacy in China, Japan and South Korea. These were washed ashore following a severe storm that displaced them from their underwater habitat and led them on land.
They may be called "penis fish", but they are not fish and probably not a penis. In fact, it is a deck worm, also called a peanut worm, whose long evolutionary process has lost a number of non-essential organs in its body to become mucosal and slippery and allow it to survive in harsh sea conditions. These worms are from the ringworm family, with their sisters being the leeches and the earthworms. The pink worms reach about 25 cm in length and are also called "the worms of the fat inn," because they form burrows in the ground, abandon them and allow others to reside in them. So considerate on their part.
More in Walla! NEWS More in Walla! NEWSA strange marine creature was discovered that looked like a male genital - and of course everyone laughs at it
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SHOOK? Thousands of these marine worms — called fat innkeeper worms, or "penis fish" —were found on Drake's Beach last week! These phallic organisms are quite common along the West Coast of North America, but they spend their entire lives in U-shaped burrows under the sand, so few beachgoers are aware of their existence. ⛈? A recent storm in Northern California brought strong waves that washed away several feet of sand from the intertidal zone, leaving all these fat innkeeper worms exposed on the surface. ? Next time you go to the beach, just think about the hundreds of 10-inch, pink sausages wiggling around just a few feet under the sand. ? . . Get the full story in our new #AsktheNaturalist with @california_natural_history via link in bio! (?: Beach photo courtesy David Ford; Worm photo by Kate Montana via iNaturalist)
A post shared by Bay Nature Magazine (@baynaturemagazine) on Dec 11, 2019 at 11:58 am PST
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Thousands of Finns found on California beach (Photo: Screenshot)
Ivan Farr, a marine expert, explains that intense storms washed these worms ashore in a storm that passed on December 6. Farr ignored the genital theory but referred to the one dealing with sausages: "These are not sausages, as some thought. This is the innkeeper's worm. They form burrows under mud or sand and leave them behind to allow other creatures to live in them, such as other worms, crabs and shrimp. The coastal creatures are happy with their existence as they catch and feed on their mucosal network of bacteria, plankton and other small particles, but they do not eat the larger particles, leaving other creatures to enjoy the spoils. He added: "Similar observations have been seen in the past, but not on this beach. This is an almost unique observation."
The life of the worms amounts to 25 years, but not all of them die in good return, as they live under many threats - including otters, flounder, sharks and seagulls - all of which will be happy to dine. As we mentioned, they are considered a delicacy in East Asia, where residents enjoy eating them as an afternoon snack after being fried and well-seasoned. Thick and large, locals believe that too thin penis indicates poor quality of food.
Penis fish are actually slippery worms that are considered delicacies in China (screenshot)
Thousands of Finns have been washed off the coast of California (Photo: screenshot)
The prospect of finding scattered pins on the beach may be small, but a slight buildup in the local water may give you results. The worms live in the shallow water that stretches from southern Oregon to northern Mexico. They excavate U-shaped burrows, with one end of the burrows often covered with a mucosa that they use to catch food during the tide. At its other end you will usually find feces, which the worm shoots out of the burrow in streams of water coming out of its bottom.
Distributed responses to the bizarre look were recorded on the network. Some were jealous of locals for the "treasure" washed ashore and others expressed disgust at the strange-looking creatures. "I know where you are spending your Christmas," wrote one, tagging his girlfriend. Another added: "Santa has fallen for my holiday gift."
