Mermaid Purse vs. Skate Case

Perhaps youve found a mermaids purse on the beach. Mermaids purses blend really well with seaweed, so you may also have walked right by one. Upon further investigation, you can learn more about what they are. The enchantingly named structures are the egg cases of skates and some sharks. This is why they are also known as skate cases. While some sharks bear live young, some sharks (and all skates) release their embryos in leathery egg cases that have horns and sometimes long tendrils at each corner. The tendrils allow them to anchor to seaweeds or other substrates. Each egg case contains one embryo. The case is made up of a material that is a combination of collagen and keratin, so a dried egg case feels similar to a fingernail.   In some areas, such as in the Bering Sea, skates seem to lay these eggs in nursery areas.  Depending on the species and sea conditions, the embryo may take weeks, months or even years to fully develop. When they hatch out of one end, the baby animals look like miniature versions of their skate or shark parents.   If you find a mermaids purse on the beach or are lucky enough to see a live one in the wild or in an aquarium, look closely -- if the developing skate or shark is still alive, you may be able to see it wiggling around.  You also may be able to see it if you shine a light through one side. The egg cases on the beach are often light and already opened, which means the animal inside has already hatched and left the egg case.   Where to Find a Mermaids Purse Mermaids purses usually get washed or blown to the high tide line of the beach, and they often get wrapped up in (and blend in well with) seaweeds and shells. As youre walking along the beach, walk in the area where shells and ocean debris seems to have washed up, and you might be lucky enough to find a mermaids purse. You may be more likely to find one after a storm.   Mermaids Purse Identification Found a mermaids purse on the beach and want to know where it is from?  Skate and shark species vary by region, but there are some identification guides out there for you beachcombers wanting to identify your finds. Here are the ones Ive found so far: Egg Cases of Alaska (great pamphlet about where baby skates come from)Shark Trust Egg Case Identification Key (UK) Conservation Factors To learn about population sizes and reproduction, some organizations have launched citizen science efforts to have people report and send in egg cases they find on the beach. Click on the links below for more information on reporting mermaids purses that you may find. The Great Egg Case Hunt (Shark Trust, UK)Marine Dimensions (Ireland) References and More Information Florida Museum of Natural History. Shark Biology. Accessed February 28, 2015.Florida Museum of Natural History. Ray and Skate Biology. Accessed February 28, 2015.Shark Trust. The Great Egg Case Hunt Project: Frequently Asked Questions. Accessed February 28, 2015.Weis, J. S. Do Fish Sleep? Fascinating Answers to Questions About Fishes. Rutgers University Press. 217pp.