Mermaid Purses Can Hold Real Treasure
They may look like old chunks of kelp on the beach, but these brownish packets, also
known as mermaidís purses, are the eggs of skates (cold-water relatives of rays).
Mother skates lay a single egg pouch on the sea floor and then swim away, leaving the fate
of their offspring to chance. During storm events, egg cases occasionally wash ashore. Most
eggs cases that are found on local beaches are
empty shells, holding only sand and salt water.
However, some still hold three to six small embryos,
attached to their yolk-sacs. These embryos breathe
through the membrane of the egg casing, so if the
casing dries out, they will die.
Over the years, many beachcombers have
found egg casings and brought them to the
Aquarium for identification. Employees place
them in ocean water and gently open them. If
there are live embryos inside, they are left alone
in a holding tank until they hatch and then
Aquarist Jason Hussa with a grown skate, found
in a beached egg case and raised in the Aquarium.