Mysterious, 'Alien-Like' Sea Creature Washes Up On Beach, Leaving People Baffled [Photo]

Photos of a mysterious "alien-like" sea creature that washed up on an Australian beach Wednesday has left social media users baffled.

The pink and translucent creature was discovered on Urangan Beach in Hervey Bay, Queensland. A curious bystander immediately clicked pictures of it and shared them on Facebook, seeking people’s help in identifying the creature. He asked the users if it was a "threatening stonefish."

However, no one was able to identify the creature correctly. While some thought it resembled a jellyfish, others called it a sea slug.

Some also felt that it looked like ambergris, which is a rare and valuable component that is used in the production of perfume.

"If it’s ambergris, it’s worth a lot of money but I think it’s harder than it looks but sure worth exploring," one person commented.

According to National Geography, the creature is a nudibranch, which is a jelly-bodied member of the sea slug family. More than 2,000 species of nudibranchs have been reported so far.

Researchers at The Australian Museum, however, identified it as a Melibe japonica, which is an uncommon sighting in Japan. Melibe japonica’s color is described as "transparent yellowish white, with a strong reddish tinge in parts."

Matt Nimbs, the research scientist from the School of Environment Science and Engineering, told Yahoo News Australia that a similar creature was found on another beach in Australia.

"Interestingly, another one was also photographed in Bermagui. That’s two in a short period and then nothing for years, sometimes decades with these animals," he told the outlet.

On Monday, a mysterious "tanned mass" washed up on an Australian beach, leaving social media users divided about its identity. Photos of the blob were posted to the Facebook group Australian Native Animal, which showed it sitting at the Kemp Beach in Yeppoon during low tide. While some users commented it was a jellyfish, others were convinced that the creature was blobfish. Experts, however, said it was most likely a lion’s mane cyanea barkeri jellyfish.