VBlogZ

Australians hitting the beach are being warned not to squish or throw clear jelly-like sacs that wash up on the sand. 

The unusual looking crescent-shaped goop actually contain thousands of babies and can easily crumble when touched. 

While many may think of them as jellyfish, they are in fact the egg sacs of predatory sand snails. 

This crescent-shaped goop may look like a baby jellyfish but it is in actual fact an egg sac of a sand snail and contains thousands of babies

They appear on Australian beaches in the Spring and are generally still washing up on the sand until about March

Beachgoers are advised not to squish or throw the egg snail sacs but to place them gently back in the water if they come across them

They start appearing on beaches in the spring and can generally still be visible right through until March. 

Social media is regularly filled with posts from people trying to find out exactly what they have come across at the beach, with some referring to them as 'clumps of jelly'.

RELATED ARTICLES

• Previous
• 1
• Next

• Son of a beach! One of the world's deadliest snakes swims... Snake catcher's grim warning to pet owners after being...

Share this article

Others have called them sausage blubber and even shark poo.    

'They're actually the egg sacs of predatory sand snails, like the moon snail or conical sand snail. If you look closely, each sac contains thousands of tiny little eggs,' the CSIRO wrote on Facebook.  

WHAT ARE THEY?

- The egg sacs of snails are from the family Naticidae

- Some sacs grow to about 5cm in length, reaching up to 10cm

- They can even weigh as much as 200g

- The female moon snail lays her eggs at night. She lays the eggs in a single line, embedded in a sand grain matrix (a combination of mucus and sand)

- There are thousands of little snail eggs in this jelly matrix

- The matrix takes on the water and it develops into what we know as this little crescent-shaped goop 

Source: CSIRO

'Moon snail egg masses usually float near sandy areas, and they often wash up on beaches in the spring. 

'They easily crumble when handled. These egg masses consist of tiny eggs in a jelly matrix. 

'The matrix absorbs water and swells to form the distinctive crescent-shaped tube which can be three to five times larger than the snail that laid it. 

'The egg masses break up in the water after a few days, releasing planktonic larvae from the eggs.'

The CSIRO warns those who come across the egg sacs to place them back into the water rather than be tempted to throw them at others. 

'If you do find one, don't throw them at your family and friends,' the CSIRO website states.  

'Gently place them back into the water.' 

Victoria's beaches are popular spots for the egg sacs, with pictures emerging on social media over the years from places such as Brighton and Tootgarook. 

After coming across the sand snail egg sacs in Victoria, one photographer described them as feeling 'amazingly nice, soft, firm, smooth, fragile and bouncing'.

Wenbo Chen posted stunning photos on Facebook but was quick to advise beachgoers who come across the egg snail sacs to be very careful when handling them.

'When you find these egg masses, it is best to be very careful while handling them as they are very fragile,' a post on his WenboChen Nature Photography Facebook page said.  

'If they are washed up on the beach, it is good to gently place them back in the water to prevent them drying out.'

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pa3IpbCmmZmhe6S7ja6iaKaVrMBwrdGtoJyklWKGcn2Vb2dyZ4CdvLW7xquYqaCVp3q4rdGnqmaalZawqbPOnqmsZZ6kwW6%2F0K6grKBdqbWzu9ZmoZ6knK56rbXKnmSsmZOoerit0qFkrJmemXupwMyl