Aussie baffled by mysterious ‘squishy fish’ washed up on Byron Bay beach: ‘Creepy’
An Australian beachgoer was left stunned by a bizarre ‘fish’ she spotted on the sand this weekend.
The woman was walking along a beach in Byron Bay when she saw a large tooth-shaped object washed up on shore.
Many were stunned at what the mysterious find could be before it was identified as the swim bladder of porcupine fish.
‘Does anyone know what this is? I found it on the beach yesterday, about 12 inches long, squishy,” she asked in a Facebook post.
People shared their suspicions with someone who thought it was the lung of a sea creature; another was shocked at how big it was.
An Australian woman was left stunned after finding a strange object washed up on a beach near Byron Bay. She said it was 12 inches long and ‘soft’
“Whale tooth,” one user replied, and a second joked: “Shark bag.
’30 cm is huge…!! You mean millimeters, right?’ a woman exclaimed.
“My ex-girlfriends’ hearts were stone cold,” another joked.
Some thought it was part of a children’s beach toy and others suspected it could be a flotation device before a man named Matt came up with the true explanation.
‘It is the gas bladder of a porcupine fish (often called Spiny Pufferfish or Burrfishes). The gas bladder (also called swim bladder) is a gas-filled sac with flexible walls located in the dorsal portion of the body cavity,” he explained.
‘It regulates the buoyancy of the fish and is important for hearing in some species. Most of the gas bladder is impermeable to gases because it has poor blood circulation (few blood vessels) and is lined with layers of guanine crystals.’
The mysterious find was identified as the swim bladder of a porcupine fish. It helps fish adapt to water pressure when swimming in the deep sea, without floating up or sinking
The swim bladder helps fish adapt to water pressure when swimming in the deep sea without floating to the top or sinking.
Many were impressed by Matt’s knowledge, but others wondered why the organ would wash up on shore on its own.
“The question is, how did it come out of the fish?” one wondered, and another asked, “Why did he give up his fish?”
“Most likely bacteria digest it and release gas,” Matt replied.
‘The reason the bladder is on land could be anything from someone emptying the fish at sea, to dying from natural causes and parts like the gas bladder surviving and making their way to shore.’