I found this egg case on the beach at Cuckmere Haven a week or so ago. With such a leathery, tough outer skin, it’s easy to see how well this could protect the embryo that must once have been inside.
I checked the Shark Trust website’s identification page and, given the south coast location, I think this eggcase might belong to a ray, perhaps a Spotted ray (Raja montagui) or an Undulate ray (Raja undulata).
I’m not sure where the name Mermaid’s purse came from – perhaps it’s simply because the eggcases come from the sea, are vaguely purse-shaped and hold something valuable inside them.
Wow! I’d never even heard of it! What a weird looking thing (my first thought was ‘oh no – a flat bat!’
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Hehe … definitely not a flat bat. 🙂
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Thank you for this post, I have never seen on in the flesh before. It does look somewhat purse-like.
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They’re interesting things. I’d never seen them until I came to Britain.
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