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It looks like the face-hugging egg of Alien or a chocolate from Willy Wonka’s factory.
Whatever it is, researchers are stumped by a mysterious golden object with a hole in it that was discovered on the seafloor off the coast of Alaska.
The shiny object is delicate to the touch, like skin tissue, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
While experts aren’t sure exactly what it is, they suggest it could be the shell of an egg or the remains of a sea sponge.
“Something tried to get in… or out,” said a researcher during the live broadcast of his discovery.
An egg, the remains of a sponge, or something else? The mysterious golden object with a hole was discovered on the seabed off the coast of Alaska
The shiny object is delicate to the touch, like skin tissue, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The ‘egg’ was found two miles deep during an expedition led by NOAA, which was broadcast online.
NOAA posted a photo on Twitter and said the “golden orb,” likely the shell of an egg, touched an “imaginative sensibility” for many who watched the live stream.
Rather than leave it where it was, NOAA deployed a remotely operated arm to “tickle” the object out of its rock.
It was then sucked into a tube to be brought back to shore, where DNA tests in the lab are expected to reveal more about what it is.
Experts aren’t sure what caused the gaping hole in front, though it could be the result of an altercation with another sea creature.
“Something tried to get in … or out,” an investigator said during the live broadcast, according to the The Miami Herald.
Another team member said: “I just hope that when we play it, something doesn’t decide to come out.”
They added that it was like the beginning of a horror movie, in reference to an early scene in Ridley Scott’s Alien where John Hurt’s character meets the ‘facehugger’ on another planet.
Instead of leaving it where it was, a remotely operated arm was deployed to “tickle” the object out of its rock.
Pictured is the English actor as John Hurt as Kane during a pivotal scene in Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979)
Another team member added: “When our collective knowledge can’t identify it, it’s kind of weird.”
“What kind of animal would make an eggshell like this?”
Considering that up to two-thirds of life living in the deep oceans is believed to be unknown to science, this could mark an exciting new discovery.
Kerry Howell, a professor of deep-sea ecology at Plymouth University, agreed that the object is “weird.”
“In my 20 years of exploring the deep sea I have not seen anything like it,” he told MailOnline.
‘It’s always exciting to see new things and I’ll be looking forward to the analysis of the sample to understand what it really is.
“There are many species yet to be discovered in the deep sea, so this could be linked to a new species quite easily.”
Professor Howell also said the hole could be where the creature inhales and exhales if it’s a sponge, or where the animal hatched if it’s an eggshell.
Murray Roberts, a professor of marine biology at the University of Edinburgh, agreed with the NOAA scientists that it could be an egg case.
“Several species, including vulnerable deep-sea fish such as sharks and rays, lay their eggs on seamounts or cold-water coral habitats,” he told MailOnline.
“Hence the hole: something hatched and swam away.”
NOAA said: The agency posted it on Twitter with the caption: “This golden orb, likely the shell of an egg, struck a chord in the imagination of many who were watching it.”
The ‘golden egg’ was found on the eighth day of NOAA’s Seascape Alaska 5 Expedition, which runs from August 23 to September 16.
“During the expedition, the team will work to fill in the gaps in our understanding of the region through focused mapping and remotely operated vehicle operations in waters deeper than 200 meters (656 feet), the agency said.
“During the course of the expedition, we hope to dive and explore deep-sea coral and sponge habitats, the water column, and more.”
Fans can follow the progress of the mission in a dedicated web page on the NOAA website.
Unprecedented Discovery: Baffling ‘Golden Egg’ Found on Alaska’s Seafloor Stumps Experts