🧜‍♀️Mermaid’s purse🧜

Have you come across one of these washed up on the beach? Empty ones are often seen on the beaches of the Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau SAC

Ever wondered what they really are? 

Believe it or not, they are egg cases of a fish known as the Small-spotted Catshark🐈🦈 also known as Dogfish🐕🐟 (see image above)

As we see in the photo, the tiny catshark embryo uses the purse to protect itself in the early stage of life whilst it develops and grows into a fish strong enough to swim independently

The long curly tendrils are ideal to attach the purse to seaweed to help keep the purse within the catshark nursery area

It can take nearly a year for the catshark to hatch and leave the purse👀

📷 Paul Kay ©