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Mermaid's purse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mermaid's purses (also known as Devil's Purses) are the normally empty egg cases of dogfish, skates, sharks and rays. They are among the objects which are washed in by the sea, and can be found at the strandline, which is the furthest point of the highest tide.
The size of mermaid's purses vary; those of the small-spotted catshark or lesser spotted dogfish, Scyliorhinus canicula, are around 5 cm long, while those of the greater spotted dogfish, S. stellaris, are around 10 cm. That excludes the four long tendrils found in each corner, which assist in anchorage. Mermaid's purses from rays vary in that they have points rather than tendrils. The colour and shape of mermaid's purses also varies greatly from species to species.
The young fish would normally gestate between 6 to 12 months, but can be much longer for deep sea catsharks which lay their eggs in very cold water.
If a mermaid's purse is still moist (not dried out) and has no visible hole, it is probably still occupied, and should be returned to the sea.
Categories: Sharks | Rays | Ichthyology