Strange ‘furry’ sea creature spotted moving on Sydney beach
Sydneysiders were perplexed last Thursday when a woman shared a video of a strange “furry” sea creature in the sand at a Cronulla beach.
The confused woman shared a video of the slow-moving creature to popular Facebook group, Everything Sutherland Shire.
“I need help identifying this strange, furry, slow-moving creature found on the low tide sands [just] off Darook Park, any ideas?” wrote the woman in her post.
In the 22-second video, the round, furry sea creature appears to be slowly moving across the sand during low tide at Darook Park in Cronulla.
The video was viewed almost 300 times and gained over 110 comments from Sutherland Shire locals who posed their own theories about the odd discovery.
Sydneysiders pose theories about the odd discovery
“Maybe a mole crab. Very slow moving, but I’d say the hair points to crustacean,” wrote one commentator.
Whole others couldn’t help but poke fun at the odd-looking creature, likening it to a toupee.
“Trump’s hair in its natural environment,” joked one person.
“Donald Trump buried up to his hairline,” joked another.
“Toupee on the move,” laughed a third.
However, several other commentators were quick to suggest the creature was a “sea potato”, also known as the heart urchin.
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Marine Expert confirms creature is a 'sea potato'
Yahoo News Australia spoke to a Marine Expert from the Australian Marine Conservation Society who confirmed the sea creature was "indeed a sea potato", or as it is named scientifically, the Echinocardium Cordatum.
According to The Wildlife Trusts website, sea potatoes are medium-sized sea urchins that burrow in the sand and live on sandy and muddy shores around coastlines.
Sea potatoes are covered in beige spines, which give them their furry appearance and have tube ‘feet’ that they use to feed on dead animals and plants.
The Wildlife Trusts website explains that the sea potato “is recognisable by the heart shape, dull whiteish colour and thin, brittle shell. The animal itself is covered in dense, fur-like spines.”
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