A translucent shrimp-like creature was caught swimming near the surface of the ocean off New Zealand by a fisherman.
Stewart Fraser was fishing with his sons Conaugh and Finn, 43 miles north off the North Island's Karikari Peninsula when he spotted the translucent 'shrimp' floating near the top of the water.
Frasier said, "I was in two minds whether to haul it in, but curiosity got the better of me and I decided to take a closer look. It felt scaly and was quite firm, almost jelly like, and you couldn't see anything inside aside from this orange little blob inside it. We have no idea what it could have been but it was quite something and I'd never seen anything like it before."
However, Deborah Cracknell, research lead from the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, said she believes the creature is a Salpa maggiore (Salpa maxima).
Also speaking, Paul Cox who is the director of conservation and communication at the National Marine Aquarium, said though little is known about the salp, they are often found in colder seas, with the most abundant concentration found in the Southern Ocean.
