Mermaid's Purse
Skate or ray egg case
Markings and exact colorations may vary.
A leathery black pouch with curling horns at the corners — an egg case, not seaweed.
- Typical size
- 2–5 in
- How often it turns up
- Uncommon
- Collecting
- Usually legal to collect
- Handling
- May be alive
Hold it to the light. If it is full and heavy, put it back in the water. Only dry, split cases should be collected.
How to tell it apart
- Rectangular black leathery pouch
- Curled tendrils or horns at the corners
- Empty ones have a split at one end
Found one?
Photograph it and BeachNut ranks the likely matches with a confidence read, then logs it to your collection with the beach and date.
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More not sure in the field guide
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