Conservationists are warning locals about ‘alien egg cases’ spotted in an Oklahoma lake, saying the creatures will appear in large numbers this summer.
Images of the bizarre sightings surfaced online, showing large, jelly-like balls with a hard exterior hanging from submerged tree branches.
Although photos of the strange animals have caused confusion and a bit of fear online, some people say they must be from outer space.
However, officials assured the public that the animals were simply bryozoans, which have been around for hundreds of millions of years – long before the first dinosaurs walked the Earth.
The creatures clone themselves in large masses to filter small particles from the water for food – and ultimately clean the lake.
Images of the bizarre sightings surfaced online, showing large, jelly-like balls with a hard exterior hanging from submerged tree branches
The pond-dwelling jellyfish were recently spotted in McGee Creek Reservoir, located on the southwestern edge of the Ouachita Mountains.
Bryozoans are actually hundreds of creatures known as zooids, each a fraction of a millimeter long, that live together in a slimy mass.
They lack any respiratory or circulatory system, but have a central nerve ganglion that allows the animal to respond to stimuli.
The small invertebrates possess both male and female reproductive organs, allowing them to clone themselves and spread via clumps of cells on the organism known as statoblasts.
Each statoblast can reproduce asexually if it detaches from a colony, allowing bryozoan clumps to disperse in large numbers under the right conditions.
The animals feast on phytoplankton and bacteria lurking in the water.
Fossil records show that ancient bryozoans date back 470 million years, suggesting they may have evolved from an ancient marine worm.
Although photos of the strange animals have caused confusion and a bit of fear online, some people say they must be from space
However, officials assured the public that the animals were simply bryozoans, which have been around for hundreds of millions of years – long before the first dinosaurs walked the Earth.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) shared images on its Facebook account.
‘What is that??? “If you are boating somewhere like McGee Creek Reservoir, you may see these strange jelly-like balls hanging from submerged tree branches,” the post reads.
‘These are Bryozoans, and they will probably appear in large numbers this summer. Don’t worry: these microorganisms are native and pose no danger to you or nature.
‘They are actually an indicator of good environmental quality and clear water!’
The post received hundreds of comments, with one user saying: ‘My eldest son thought they were body snatchers waiting to come out and take our bodies.’
“They look like alien egg cartons from outer space,” reads another comment.
Others were panicked by the reports and said they thought something was wrong with the water.
Zooids only survive in water warmer than 60°F. Therefore, even more will appear in the coming months as temperatures rise during the summer season.
The larger masses are covered with a substance known as chitin, which is found on the outside of crabs, and hardens when dried to preserve the organism until it can be rehydrated.
Most colonies are attached to a structure such as a rock or submerged branch, which was observed in the photos shared by Oklahoma wildlife officials.
Some colonies take the form of round, jelly-like masses, while others resemble antlers or mossesor subtly draw trails like vines over rocks, or create furry colonies.