I saw an article on them in American Wire News, and the text explaining what it is is from that.
“Does anyone know what this is? Have seen a number of these washed up this week,” asked one resident of the area, who witnessed one of the creatures that had washed ashore.
But while it may look like an alien from a different planet, the truth is a lot less “out there” than one may think.
According to Sea Life Sydney Aquarium aquarist Harry Masefield, the slimy critters are actually a type of mollusk called sea hare, which contain toxins and are harmful if eaten. While humans haven’t been chowing down on these invertebrates, animals may be a different story.
“People don’t munch on them but occasionally a dog might try should it find one washed up on the beach. If the individual hare has been eating particular types of algae it may cause harm to the dog,” he explained.
