Video of squirming blob pulled from Texas lagoon prompts question: Is it from Earth?

A squirming green blob pulled out of a Texas lagoon this week sparked a bit of mystery for those less familiar with saltwater creatures.

It also prompted the question: Is that thing from this Earth?

Texas Parks and Wildlife shared video of the animal wriggling in the palm of a hand and asked followers if they could identify it. The reactions ranged from disgust to admiration for the “precious creature.” Others thought it seemed like fiction.

“I’ve seen this movie,” a Facebook user commented. “Wrong thing to bring out of the water in 2020.”

“Looks like something from the series ‘Stranger Things,’”another person said.

As it turns out, the creature is a sea hare, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. Sea hare is a name used for a large group of sea slugs usually found in calm, shallow coastal waters or bays, according to Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine.

That habitat fits the description of where this sea hare was found in Nighthawk Bay in the Upper Laguna Madre. The Laguna Madre near Padre Island is one of just six hypersaline bays in the world, where the water is saltier than ocean water, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife.

This story was originally published October 1, 2020 at 4:36 PM with the headline "Video of squirming blob pulled from Texas lagoon prompts question: Is it from Earth?."