Picture of the Day: Nightmarish Hell-Beast of the Deep Loses Fiendish Claw-Tentacle

[aggienaut]

Walking on the beach the other day I found this. It would appear some hell beast of the deep has missplaced a diabolical clawed tentacle.



Some of my friends on facebook who foolishly disbelieve in nightmarish sea monsters tried to suggest it was the decomposing body of a sea snake but I'd like to point out (A) that is clearly a claw, and (B) the scales are going the wrong way for that to be the front end (it had been posited that that's a fang and the rest of the skull assemblage has disappeared)

Comments

No... it is not a fang....

[gythiawulfie.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure it is a claw either. And in fact, upon first look I went... Ah... seasnake or eel.

But when you showed that picture and said claw.. I had to go through all my herptological files in my brain and when... Nope... reproductive barb...

Many male species of snakes have a pair of reproductive barbs they use to hook under the female's scale during mating. This is one way we can tell the males and females apart. They only are visible when you press on their abdomen a certain way.

However.. I think I like your explanation better.

[lawchicky.livejournal.com]

My kids saw the picture and are readily accepting the sea beast theory :)

[technophobe1975.livejournal.com]

Looks like Cthulthu had a REALLY bad day...

[thethornbird.livejournal.com]

what in the hell...

[blackmavriq.livejournal.com]

I'll still believe it's something like a hybrid, serpentine baby kraken for you. ;)

[blackmavriq.livejournal.com]

Possibly an offspring of Poseidon and Medusa.

[angelic-mystic.livejournal.com]

That is WAY too big to be a fang. I think that may be part of one of Cthulu's offspring that they may have molted in the process of growing and readying themselves to rise and retake this planet for themselves.