Locals baffled as rarely seen creature crawls along UK beach - 'something out of Alien!'

By Max Parry, News Reporter

The 15cm agelong marine worm was spotted successful Rye Harbour successful East Sussex (Image: Rye Harbour Nature Reserve)

People person been near confused - and a spot frightened - aft a weird carnal was recovered astatine a harbour successful England.

The critter with sharp-looking achromatic spikes and a sandy brownish assemblage was captured arsenic it dilatory wriggled on a bedewed beach.

The carnal was recovered successful the coastal colony of Rye, successful Sussex, and was identified arsenic a oversea mouse.

Sea mice are usually located successful the Atlantic and Mediterranean and tin lavation up to enactment during periods of inclement weather.

The carnal is simply a predator and hunts tiny crabs and seabed worms, according to The Wildlife Trust.

The Sea Mouse burrowing done the soil and silt (Image: Rye Harbour Nature Reserve)

A spokesperson for Rye Harbour Nature Reserve said: "About 15cm agelong and seldom seen, but successful winter, storms tin lavation them up connected the precocious tide line. This 1 was recovered astatine Rye harbour and enactment backmost successful the sea. Look intimately among its duller bristles to spot a shimmering, iridescent fringe!

"It's been recovered that the oversea rodent uses 'photonic engineering', a exertion we’re lone conscionable getting to grips with. The bristles are structured to bespeak airy successful a definite way, and it’s believed this colourful show deters predators connected the acheronian seabed."

Despite the group's attempts to wow societal media users astir the oversea mouse's biology, galore connected Facebook were enactment disconnected by its appearance.

One idiosyncratic wrote: "I cognize it's 1 of god's creatures, but it's bloody horrible."

Another agreed: "Something retired of Alien, this is". While a 3rd said: "Ohh, I don't similar the look of that beastie."

Poking fun, 1 idiosyncratic quipped: "That’s a haggis".