Pantai California Dibanjiri Ribuan ‘Ikan Penis’! Begini Penampakannya

Badai yang belum lama ini terjadi turut menerpa lapisan pasir di pantai California hingga memunculkan ribuan makhluk menyerupai cacing gemuk yang kerap disebut ‘ikan penis’ karena bentuk dan warnanya.

Dilansir Bay Nature, selepas serangkaian badai musim dingin yang terjadi di California utara, segerombolan makhluk berwarna merah muda, berdenyut-denyut muncul di sepanjang pantai utara San Francisco.

Makhluk ini kerap disebut cacing gendut, dan biasanya mereka bersembunyi jauh di bawah pasir sehingga tidak bisa terinjak pengunjung pantai.

Gelombang badai raksasa yang menerpa saat badai nampaknya ikut mengikis lapisan pasir pantai hingga membuat “ikan penis” ini muncul ke permukaan.

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SHOOK ???? Thousands of these marine worms—called fat innkeeper worms, or “penis fish”—were found on Drake’s Beach last week! These phallic organisms are quite common along the West coast of North America, but they spend their whole lives in U-shaped burrows under the sand, so few beachgoers are aware of their existence. ????? A recent storm in Northern California brought strong waves that washed away several feet of sand from the intertidal zone, leaving all these fat innkeeper worms exposed on the surface. ???? Next time you go to the beach, just think about the hundreds of 10-inch, pink sausages wiggling around just a few feet under the sand. ???? . . Get the full story in our new #AsktheNaturalist with @california_natural_history via link in bio! (????: Beach photo courtesy David Ford; Worm photo by Kate Montana via iNaturalist)

A post shared by Bay Nature Magazine (@baynaturemagazine) on Dec 11, 2019 at 11:58am PST

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The Korean name for this curious creature is gaebul, which translates as “dog dick.” Here in the States, it’s known as the fat innkeeper worm or the penis fish. Its scientific binomial is Urechis caupo, or “viper tail tradesman.” Whatever you call the animal, you can find them in abundance at Bodega Bay, where they build burrows in the tidal mud flats. On Saturday afternoon, our small, but enthusiastic clamming/crabbing crew thrust shovels and shoulder-deep arms into that mud in pursuit of Pacific gaper clams (Tresus nuttallii), but we also pulled up at least twenty of these red rockets. We returned them to their subterranean homes – excepting those that were snatched by eager herring gulls. I learned later that the gulls were the smarter hunters; fat innkeepers are edible, and are even considered a delicacy in Korea. Still, even though we missed out on a prime opportunity to dine on dog dick, we had a successful, fun outing, encountering a number of curious species, some of which now reside my belly. ? What you’re looking at here: • Fat innkeeper worm (Urechis caupo) • A ring of prominent setae on the butt end of the fat innkeeper worm (Urechis caupo) • Bay ghost shrimp (Neotrypaea californiensis) • Lewis’s moon snail (Euspira lewisii) • Bucket filled w/ Pacific gaper clams or “horsenecks” (Tresus nuttallii), white macoma or “sand clams” (Macoma secta), and Lewis’s moon snails • Red rock crabs (Cancer productus) back in the kitchen, icing after boiling ? ? ? ? ? #BodegaBay #gaebul #FatInnkeeperWorm #UrechisCaupo #BayGhostShrimp #NeotrypaeaCaliforniensis #LewissMoonSnail #EuspiraLewisii #PacificGgaperClam #TresusNuttallii #RedRockCrab #CancerProductus #crabbing #clamming #huntergatherer #SonomaCounty #California #naturalhistory

A post shared by Christopher Reiger (@christopherreiger) on Feb 18, 2019 at 9:20am PST

Makhluk ini sudah ada sejak 300 juta tahun dan dapat hidup hingga 25 tahun. Makhluk ini berenang dan makan menggunakan “belalai yang berbentuk menyerupai spatula”.

Biasanya ikan ini memakan bakteri, plankton dan partikel kecil lainnya yang ditangkap menggunakan jaring lender yang lengket.

Uniknya, ikan penis ini juga bisa dikonsumsi. Di Korea Selatan misalnya, ada hidangan yang bahan dasarnya dibuat dari ikan penis ini yang bernama gaebul. Sedangkan di China, ikan ini biasa disajikan kepada para wisatawan dengan cara ditumis dengan bumbu kearifan lokal.

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