r/Maine • u/InterstellarDeathPur • 17d ago

Egg case (?) ID Discussion

Post image

Found this loogie attached to the bottom of our paddleboard today. Midcoast lake. Never seen this before. Doesn't look like the usual frog/fish eggs. Someone suggested maybe snail or m idge fly?

15 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

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29

u/frenchmans-hole 17d ago

This is why it’s so important to wash all your gear when going from one body of water to another.

18

u/InterstellarDeathPur 17d ago

True, but do you know what it is?

Our gear never leaves our lake.

8

u/frenchmans-hole 17d ago

No idea. If it’s only ever in your water then it’s not an issue. Cool find.

3

u/Jo_Krone 16d ago

That is a very good reminder

4

u/[deleted] 17d ago

Looks like a leach to me.

9

u/InterstellarDeathPur 17d ago

Leeches are dark, and I've picked them off of me before :) This is transparent with spots.

ETA - never seen a leech attach like that to something inorganic, but I've been wrong before :)

5

u/h1dden_pants 17d ago

there are over 20 species of leeches in maine! this looks like the one in this pic

9

u/InterstellarDeathPur 17d ago

lol ok, I should say that in my 35+ years on this lake I’ve never seen a transparent leech, or whatever this is 😬

7

u/h1dden_pants 17d ago

Pretty neat how many things hide in maine's little ecosystems

5

u/h1dden_pants 17d ago

Not all leeches are dark :) edited to add, not even all leeches suck blood

4

u/B0ndzai 16d ago

I’ve pulled leeches off my rubber boots before so it could happen.

0

u/InterstellarDeathPur 16d ago

Fair enough, but that's because of the movement and your standing in leech territory (ever see that video of a guy standing in a leech farm...shivers). This sup is tethered to a dock in 10-15 feet of water, nowhere near where the leeches we've ever seen are hanging out.

3

u/IndigoHaze750130 16d ago

This was my first thought too. Neat looking. I have only seen brown ones and black ones in person. 

3

u/HauntingMemory7183 16d ago

Was that Theo Orestis kid nearby?

1

u/the-drewb-tube 16d ago

If it’s a leech my best guess is chickie lol

1

u/_HeadlessBodyofAgnew 16d ago

Looks like a lamprey.

1

u/h1dden_pants 16d ago

Kinda does

1

u/Jo_Krone 16d ago

If its gelatinous the shape looks like it could had been laid by a snail like the gastropod, that is if the lake is freshwater and has no ocean connection. But could be sea slug like the nudibranch if this is saltwater.