These are close to the top of the list when it comes to unusual objects that one might find washed up on the beach.
The objects are sometimes known as “mermaids’ purses.”
Sometimes, they’re called “devil’s purses.”
But they’re not a bag, a purse, or even something man-made.
Instead, they’re shark eggs.
The pouches often baffle those who find them.
When one looks closely, a tiny shark pup can sometimes be seen.
The “purses” are made of collagen protein and are soft and somewhat leathery to the touch.
Typically, they have exits where the shark pups have swum out. If not, the pups didn’t survive.
Some have different shapes, including spirals.
Among the 9 orders of sharks, egg-laying can be found only in three varieties of shark.
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“It’s unclear how that shape actually develops,” said Christopher Lowe, a marine biology professor who is in charge of the Shark Lab at California State University in Long Beach.
The report elaborated that the “packaging” of the egg is of a material similar to fingernails or hair.
