As a child, I used to love standing on the jellyfish washed up onto the beach and feeling them squelch through my toes. You know the jellyfish- those clear, crescent shaped wobbly jelly shapes.
But then Port Phillip was invaded by blue blubber jellyfish one year and I was no longer so confident to stomp around on jelly things lest I be stung.
But – guess what? Those clear, crescent-shaped wobbly jelly shapes aren’t jellyfish at all! Instead, they are the egg sac from the conical sand snail, each containing hundreds of snail eggs. So squash away- if you want hundreds of snail eggs between your toes- it’s not going to sting you!
And wait- there’s more! You know those shells with the hole conveniently drilled into them for easy stringing for a necklace?
Well, the hole is brought to you by none other than the very same conical sand snail! It injects a dissolving agent into an unsuspecting pipi through the hole, then sucks up the contents. Mmmm-mmm.
The Resident Judge of Port Phillip 
I am disillusioned. Not jelly fish. I usually saw them coming and ducked or jumped out of the way when a sibling threw one at me.
And I certainly didn’t like squelching them between my toes. Yuk. But then, I hate sand so squelchy things jsut added to the general unpleasantness of the beach as far as I’m concerned. Give me the mountains and snakes and lizards that run away when they see you….though must admit the flies can be irritating.
Yous are all wrong it is a clear sausage not man made but from beelzybub.at times it is left over from the last onslaught of humen kind.haha kidding
Bro I told you not to tell even in joke form
well my son’s girlfriend told us they were shark poo, so I’m relieved!
So am I!! I go round stepping on them!!
is this squishy clear jellyfish good as a garden fertiliser?
I don’t know. It’s not like seaweed, so I wouldn’t think so. But I really don’t know.
I got told this too!!!!
So if something bigger than you decides your just a jellyfish, or just a snail egg-sack on lifes beach it’s ok for them to enjoy destroying you underfoot.
By the time the eggs wash up on the beach there is a good chance they are done for.
I agree. I don’t have any particular qualms over them.
The ones that wash up on the beach are destined to try up and die or be eaten. No Biggie.
i agree i used to squash them on the rosebud beach and throw them at my friends and i only now 15 years later know what they are thank you
I too thought they were shark poo, and have thought so for 24 yrs. thanks for putting my mind to rest. ill squash more now lol
What is wrong with you people? Dont you think prehaps that you are destroying living creatures? You are getting off on standing on jelly like snail eggs??? Maybe it was ok when you were 5….Now its weird.
agree.
Agree people should put them back in the water,so many people are brain dead .
Thanks for solving the mystery! I’ve often wondered what those clear, crescent-shaped objects were.
Thats annoying. i thought there were poop and now i wont be able to chuck them at my brother. sigh
I saw a blue and white shell shaped one
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Thanks so much for this! We were wondering what they are also 🙂
I’m glad to have been of help!
can I take one home and raise conical snails???
Sorry, no idea. I don’t know how far these eggs sacs are from the actual spawning (or whatever they do) of the snails.
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Grandkids at Lake Macquarie NSW today and first time I had heard the shark poo theory, especially with all the sitings lately, kids were having a great time catching them and I can now let them know exactly what they are. Thanks.
You’re welcome!
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so I’ve been “saving” egg sacks – I thought I was throwing jellyfish back
I made the same mistake.
lots on beach today at Henley ,Adelaide , I now know what they are. Thanks
A pleasure. They’re obviously not just a Port Phillip Bay phenomenon then.
This page helped us identity the mysterious tentacle like things we found all over the beach this morning. Thanks!
Glad to have been of assistance. Enjoy the beach.
I’m also happy to know what those things are, always plenty on the Portarlington side of Port Phillip Bay……….thanks
Poop
so u r killing the baby snails if u squish them
OMG! I’ve felt guilty as we used to throw these jelly blobs at each other as kids, while we swam in the lake!
Why would you say that !!…how about you don’t ‘squish the jelly egg sac between your toes’ and return them gently back to the water ??
We literally have 500 of them on our little lead free beach dog beach in Hervey Bay. As fast as you throw them back into the sea the tide just washes them back in by morning.
I’m intrigued by the theory that the eggs have all hatch out by the time they reach a beach.
we’re not brain dead,I just don’t think that we need millions of snails under our feet every time we go in the sea!the beach I go to always has hundreds of them every time I go.
I was always told it was shark excrements washed ashore 🤣