Fish skin ID please

[Slippy]

Walking along Saunton Sands every morning this week , I have been finding numerous pieces of what look like some kind of fish skin. All the pieces are roughly the same size and shape and have all been deposited at the high tide line , along a fair length of the beach.
It is the shape of the pieces that intrigues me the most.
The skin is fairl rubbery and tears easily.

Anyone got any ideas as to which species it might be and why it is being washed ashore?

Hope the piccies are OK.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o256/sideslip_photos/chivenor270308019.jpg

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o256/sideslip_photos/chivenor270308021.jpg

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o256/sideslip_photos/chivenor270308024.jpg

Underside view
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o256/sideslip_photos/chivenor270308023.jpg

[Norrie]

Hi Slippy, Looks weird to me, my initial thought was a fish factory, skinning doggies, mibbes up the coast or whatever...but the man that should know, has been informed, and will be on around lunchtime..:):)

[Mono]

Taking a guess here, first reply at risk of lookin a complete numpty. Looks like snake skins. :-S

[kdnewton5]

looks like snake skin to me too

[Fylde Phil]

It's part of a mermaids' tail. They tend to shed them at this time of year as they grow into women/fishhood. Magic properties too if you boil them and make a brew, will help you to catch fish with an ability to see deep into the sea and locate shoals etc...!! LOL.

Phil :fishing::bleh::crazy:

[Slippy]

It's part of a mermaids' tail. They tend to shed them at this time of year as they grow into women/fishhood. Magic properties too if you boil them and make a brew, will help you to catch fish with an ability to see deep into the sea and locate shoals etc...!! LOL.

Phil :fishing::bleh::crazy:

Tried it ..........tastes *****e!!:nono:

[blueskip]

I dont believe you thought it was fish skin, is this yet another April Fool wind up?:nonono:
blueskip

[Slippy]

I dont believe you thought it was fish skin, is this yet another April Fool wind up?:nonono:
blueskip

I'm just interested to know what it is.

If you read my first post properly ,I said that it " looked like some kind of fish skin".

What sort of seaweed do you reckon it is?

[DAVE H]

a shellfish make them as a nest for there eggs seen them in the med when diveing which one i have no clues

[Norrie]

Taking a guess here, first reply at risk of lookin a complete numpty. Looks like snake skins. :-S


LOL, I thought that as well, but was scared to post it !!!! :):)

[Davy Holt]

Hiya,

Looks a bit small for to be a skinned fish, and looks very much like a discarded skin from a reptile.. what’s the Lizard / snake population like down there ??

[Slippy]

Hiya,

Looks a bit small for to be a skinned fish, and looks very much like a discarded skin from a reptile.. what’s the Lizard / snake population like down there ??

Would have to be a large reptile - don't think we have anything larger than a Grass Snake down 'ere. Certainly no Anaconda's!:ohmy:

[dabcatcher]

if theres quite a few and all roughly the same shape and size i would go with some form of egg case.

no idea what though.

there is a small shark species that has an egg case that is in a spiral.

[Hawklord]

Hi All,

I have a cornsnake and when he sheds the skin looks nothing like that. It is transparent and bears none of his normal colouration. In my opinion it is too opaque to be a reptile skin that has been shed by natural means.

[John Mason]

These wash up at Borth from time to time as well - no idea what they are! Suspect possibly vegetable rather than animal....

Cheers - John

[Davy Holt]

Hi All,

I have a cornsnake and when he sheds the skin looks nothing like that. It is transparent and bears none of his normal colouration. In my opinion it is too opaque to be a reptile skin that has been shed by natural means.

OK that's that theory blown out the water then :)

I cant think of anything else offhand wbut will have a search when I get home from work :)

[shaggy]

things can wash up from miles away so it could be repitle skin ?shaggy

[John Mason]

I wonder if it's a sponge? See:

http://www.habitas.org.uk/marinelife/porifera/SC0105s.jpg

Cheers - John

[shaggy]

I wonder if it's a sponge? See:

http://www.habitas.org.uk/marinelife/porifera/SC0105s.jpg

Cheers - John

hi john see lots of differnant types sponges on beaches but not that type but could be wrong?shaggy

[Poughill Reef?]

My contribution...
First thought was that it could be from triggerfish.. however they've usually all washed in en-mass at the first frost. Usually mid November down here. Some beaches having several dozen wash ashore at a time...
Too late in the season and a little dark and dehydrated looking.

Not sure Slippy

[MartynG]

Whilst collecting slipper limpets today I saw a few decaying sponges or perhaps some type of weed stalk that looked like the 'skin' you've seen - had the same snakeskin appearance to them.

[sharpshooter]

Ive seen similar looking seaweed. Without feeling the texture - hard to say.
Looks like no fish skin that I have seen, or know of.
It's the "tears easily" bit, which makes me think it aint fish skin. What fish skin tears easily??????

[Slippy]

What fish skin tears easily??????

Fried Haddock?

[Davy Holt]

Hiya,

I'm still at a loss so have called in some reinforcements, I've posted on the Glaucus board as there are a load of beachcombers on there. So fingers crossed :)

[Slippy]

Thanks Davy.

It's a bit of a mystery ,ain't it?

[Davy Holt]

Hiya,

Thanks Davy.

It's a bit of a mystery ,ain't it?

Certainly is, but we WILL solve it one way or another :)

[Norrie]

LOL, Told you it was a cracker Davy !! :) I've looked through mibbes 100 seafish/invertebrate books...nothing like it..:(

[blueskip]

Or an algae, you get thousands of them washed up on the South facing beaches here after a storm, very spongelike in texture, usually the same shape as an orange peel that has been removed, absolutely useless as bait, & tastes like sh1t when fried.
blueskip

[Vicfisher]

Possibly remains of some sort of sea squirt like this??
http://tinyurl.com/27uk8s

or maybe some sort of root ball from sea-weed/kelp species?

[Davy Holt]

Hiya,

Ok we got a contender the eggs of the necklace Shell (Polinices catenus )

clicky (http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.imagequest3d.com/ImageFolio3_files/gallery/aquatic/mollusca/gastropoda/tn_JMG00193.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.imagequest3d.com/cgi-bin/ImageFolio3/imageFolio.cgi%3Fsearch%3Dsnails%26img%3D0%26cat%3 D%26bool%3Dphrase&h=96&w=144&sz=31&hl=en&start=6&tbnid=ijvorJpi2KUhUM:&tbnh=63&tbnw=94&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnecklace%2Bshell%2Beggs%26hl%3Den%26r lz%3D1T4GGIH_en-GBGB256GB256)

looks like it could well be.

[shaggy]

Hiya,

Ok we got a contender the eggs of the necklace Shell (Polinices catenus )

clicky (http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.imagequest3d.com/ImageFolio3_files/gallery/aquatic/mollusca/gastropoda/tn_JMG00193.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.imagequest3d.com/cgi-bin/ImageFolio3/imageFolio.cgi%3Fsearch%3Dsnails%26img%3D0%26cat%3 D%26bool%3Dphrase&h=96&w=144&sz=31&hl=en&start=6&tbnid=ijvorJpi2KUhUM:&tbnh=63&tbnw=94&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnecklace%2Bshell%2Beggs%26hl%3Den%26r lz%3D1T4GGIH_en-GBGB256GB256)

looks like it could well be.

think you right davy well done.shaggy

[Slippy]

Hiya,

Ok we got a contender the eggs of the necklace Shell (Polinices catenus )

clicky (http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.imagequest3d.com/ImageFolio3_files/gallery/aquatic/mollusca/gastropoda/tn_JMG00193.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.imagequest3d.com/cgi-bin/ImageFolio3/imageFolio.cgi%3Fsearch%3Dsnails%26img%3D0%26cat%3 D%26bool%3Dphrase&h=96&w=144&sz=31&hl=en&start=6&tbnid=ijvorJpi2KUhUM:&tbnh=63&tbnw=94&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnecklace%2Bshell%2Beggs%26hl%3Den%26r lz%3D1T4GGIH_en-GBGB256GB256)

looks like it could well be.

Have you got a better picture? This one's too small to make any meaningful comparison.

[Norrie]

This one is a dead ringer...on the same page..:):)


Image 0041 and 380


Necklace Shell Euspira catena
Moving across sand with body extended and enveloping shell. "Necklace" egg mass to left rear.

[Slippy]

This one is a dead ringer...on the same page..:):)


Image 0041 and 380


Necklace Shell Euspira catena
Moving across sand with body extended and enveloping shell. "Necklace" egg mass to left rear.

I think your right there mate.
Looks the biz to me.:thumbs:

Thanks guys.

[Davy Holt]

Hiya, try this one here (http://www.imagequest3d.com/ImageFolio3_files/gallery/aquatic/mollusca/gastropoda/JMG00380.jpg)

we you just sitting there waiting to post norrie :P

[Norrie]

Hiya, try this one here (http://www.imagequest3d.com/ImageFolio3_files/gallery/aquatic/mollusca/gastropoda/JMG00380.jpg)

we you just sitting there waiting to post norrie :P

Nope, but the species you posted is different to the one you put up on this pic...:):) I had them in my books, but no pics of the egg mass...good stuff this aint it..:):)

I love this detective stuff...I managed to buy a copy of a very rare book today from 1885...:):), not a lot of copies going around either..all due to detective work !!!

[marc portch]

they certainly aren't snake skin as I used to keep snakes, so that can be ruled out for sure.

very strange things!

[Garfish1]

Is that right??

I'm no marine biologist, but the pictures look like they are of a nest made by the mollusc from a combination of the surrounding sand and mollusc goo.

Are the eggs not the small white spheres in the picture (I needed to look very carefully!)

My best guess is that it is a seaweed. I've dragged similar looking stuff in from the Tamar on occasion - often at the base of a kelp-like plant. The snake skin appearance is formed by hundreds of tiny air bubbles.

Who knows?

[Slippy]

My best guess is that it is a seaweed. I've dragged similar looking stuff in from the Tamar on occasion - often at the base of a kelp-like plant. The snake skin appearance is formed by hundreds of tiny air bubbles.

Who knows?

Have a look at my original pictures at the start of the thread then check the picture HERE (http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.imagequest3d.com/ImageFolio3_files/gallery/aquatic/mollusca/gastropoda/tn_JMG00193.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.imagequest3d.com/cgi-bin/ImageFolio3/imageFolio.cgi%3Fsearch%3Dsnails%26img%3D0%26cat%3 D%26bool%3Dphrase&h=96&w=144&sz=31&hl=en&start=6&tbnid=ijvorJpi2KUhUM:&tbnh=63&tbnw=94&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnecklace%2Bshell%2Beggs%26hl%3Den%26r lz%3D1T4GGIH_en-GBGB256GB256) (1st column of pictures - 5th line down) - looks a dead ringer to me.

[Garfish1]

Got to agree, it does look like the picture you mention. I was looking at the original pictures, particularly this one...Picture (http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.imagequest3d.com/ImageFolio3_files/gallery/aquatic/mollusca/gastropoda/tn_JMG00193.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.imagequest3d.com/cgi-bin/ImageFolio3/imageFolio.cgi%3Fsearch%3Dsnails%26img%3D0%26cat%3 D%26bool%3Dphrase&h=96&w=144&sz=31&hl=en&start=6&tbnid=ijvorJpi2KUhUM:&tbnh=63&tbnw=94&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnecklace%2Bshell%2Beggs%26hl%3Den%26r lz%3D1T4GGIH_en-GBGB256GB256)

The weed I was thinking of is similar to this one (http://www.weedseen.co.uk/ShowSpecies.asp?id=ZR6360), although I have seen a reddish one with far more bubbles.

Having looked at the photographs again (http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.imagequest3d.com/ImageFolio3_files/gallery/aquatic/mollusca/gastropoda/tn_JMG00193.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.imagequest3d.com/cgi-bin/ImageFolio3/imageFolio.cgi%3Fsearch%3Dsnails%26img%3D0%26cat%3 D%26bool%3Dphrase&h=96&w=144&sz=31&hl=en&start=6&tbnid=ijvorJpi2KUhUM:&tbnh=63&tbnw=94&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnecklace%2Bshell%2Beggs%26hl%3Den%26r lz%3D1T4GGIH_en-GBGB256GB256), got to agree it does look like the snail egg mass!

Well done chaps!:notworthy