Nature & Environment

String of strange 'alien egg-like' pods pulled from lake in Oklahoma

By T.K. Randall
March 19, 2024 ·  2 comments

Image Credit: Facebook / Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation Found in the McGee Creek Reservoir on the south-east edge of the Ouachita Mountain Range in Oklahoma, the objects - which seemed to be strung together like some sort of alien egg sack - certainly attracted a fair amount of attention when images were recently shared online.

Far from being the unhatched offspring of an alien creature, however, these slimy spheres are in fact made up of large numbers of simple, aquatic invertebrates known as zooids.

Their colonies are commonly known as bryozoans.

The reason they clump together in such large numbers is to enable them to collectively filter large numbers of tiny food particles from the water (which also helps to clean the lake). Bryozoans are typically found attached to submerged tree limbs and wood debris.

"If you're out boating somewhere like McGee Creek Reservoir you may notice these strange jelly-like balls hanging from submerged tree limbs," local wildlife officials wrote on Facebook.

"These are Bryozoans, and they'll likely show up in large numbers this summer. Don't be alarmed these microorganisms are native and are of no danger to you or wildlife."

"In fact, they are an indicator of good environmental quality and clear water!"



Source: Mail Online | Comments (2)

Tags: Oklahoma