Experts unmask beach creature behind spikes sticking up through the sand

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Beachgoers have spotted a strange phenomenon sticking out of the sand - with experts explaining precisely what is behind the unusual sight.

People visiting beaches along the scenic Pembrokeshire coastline in Wales have been puzzled by sightings of small spikes poking through the sand, WalesOnline reports .

Resident Lee Murray caught sight of the spikes while on a walk between Wiseman’s Bridge and Saundersfoot, and along with other curious locals took to social media to ask what could be causing the spikes.It turns out that the spikes belong to masked crab; a small species of crab measuring just a few centimetres wide.The masked crab gets its name from the patterns on its outer shell, which is said to resemble a human face.The species is mostly found around the south and west coasts of the British Isles, although other smaller populations have been found across the rest of the country and in parts of Europe.The masked crab buries down into the sand or mud on the beach, feeding on marine worms and other small sand-dwelling creaturesThe ‘spike’ is actually the crab’s long antenna, which they use as a “snorkel” in order to breathe when they bury themselves in the sand, explained Victoria Riglen from the Marine Conservation Society.."We aren’t sure as to why they’d be appearing now more so than any other time of year, but it could be because of the very low tides,” Victoria added.These spiked crabs aren’t the only unusual sight to have been spotted on Welsh beaches recently.

Mysterious creatures that puzzled beachgoers in Swansea were identified as Thyone fusus, a sea cucumber that had been washed up by the stormy weather.