Hundreds of residents of the eastern Chinese port city of Yantai made a pilgrimage to the beach last weekend. The reason was the hunt for a local delicacy. Tons of porcupine worms – also known as “penis fish” – had washed up in the city.
The sea floor worms are considered a delicacy in China, Korea and Japan. There they are sometimes eaten raw as sushi or fried. They all settle in the shallow coastal seas of the Pacific Ocean, where they burrow into the sandy bottom. It may happen that a storm rips the sand-dwellers out of their burrows and entire colonies of hedgehog worms wash ashore, explains the news portal Watson.
Worms can grow up to 30 centimeters long
Because of their appearance, the animals are also called “penis fish” in China. The lively creatures can grow up to 30 centimeters in length. Last weekend, hundreds of residents of the Hafenstand stormed the beach to collect the special worms.
An incredible natural spectacle – which you don’t only get to see in China. Also, large numbers of “penis fish” have landed on California beaches in the past.
In the US, the worms are not eaten, but used as fishing bait.
Source: Krone
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