California, USA, Usa, the U.S. The creatures have a very similar look and shape to sausages and are known as the “fat inndogworm” or Urechis caupo, appeared on Drakes beach due to bad weather last week.
A marine life expert who wrote for Bay Nature explained that severe storms may have forced the creatures out of their burrows and exposed them to predators.
Ivan Parr said: “The same phenomenon has been reported over the years in Bird Dunes, Moss Landing, Bay Winery and Princeton Harbour.
“I’ve heard my share of imaginative theories from beach lovers, like the remnants of a wrecked freighter.
“In truth, these are living inhabitants of our beaches, mostly called ‘fat innkeeperworms’.”
Parr acknowledged that the shape of this phallic fish “has something to explain” when a concerned reader asked why they were there.
He described how these strangely shaped worms make U-shaped burrows under the mud or sand it leaves behind for other creatures to move.
This is why it is known as a “posadero”, although the “fish” is a natural conclusion for those who find them scattered all over the coast.
Free loaders that take advantage of the worm’s digging skills include clams, other worms, crabs, shrimp and even a fish called the gobio arrow.
The worm uses its spatula-shaped limb to feed and swim in its coastal habitat, Parr explained.
He also described a sighting of the pulsating U-caupo as “an almost unique California experience” with most of the sightings that occurred between Bodega Bay and Monterey.
Parr said these fish were the penis of the Sunshine State “best claim for the state worm” is the only representative of North America.
These invertebrate creatures have for a time existed with fossil evidence of their U-shaped burrows dating back to the whopping 300 million years.
Some may have a life of 25 years, but they have countless threats, including humans, otters, flounders, sharks, rays and seagulls.
These worms are a delicacy in East Asia, where their only two-legged predator enjoys eating one to two fish with a small pinch of salt.
Commonly eaten in South Korea, Japan and China, the fat worm inkeeper, or “gaebul” in Korean, is a delicious and slightly sweet meal.
People there are partial to roasting this worm (said to have aphrodisiac properties) and add some salt, pepper and seasoning of sesame oil.
And like many things, it’s a case of the bigger the better when it comes to fish because the irregular thickness can indicate lower quality.
