Jackie's mystery find proves 'rare treat'
Wes Hosking
30Jun08
Jackie Murley with her rare, ``paper thin'' shells on Aspendale beach. Picture: RICHARD SERONG
MORE strange creatures from the deep have washed ashore at Aspendale.
A week after a giant crab was found on the beach, Jackie Murley found three peculiarly shaped shells.
"I've never seen them before," Mrs Murley said.
"An albatross had one in its mouth and I had to walk into the water to get it."
Seaweed Sally Marine Education Service educator Josie Mulcahy said the shells belonged to the paper nautilus squid.
Ms Mulcahy said the squid lived in the shells for up to eight years before they laid eggs and died.
"It's pretty rare to get them in such good quality," she said.
"They are literally as thin as paper."
Melbourne Aquarium aquarist Jules Biggart said sea tides and the weather often affected where the species washed up. "To find one intact is a rare treat," he said.
