If I saw something like this, I would avoid it for sure! I wouldn't pick it up and I certainly wouldn't even consider eating it!
Blood From A Stone
Tunichates are just plain weird. Although extremely primitive and almost entirely immobile, these inorganic-looking entities are, in fact, animals. They are not conventional invertebrates, either. Belonging to a subphylum of the chordates, they are actually related to vertebrates. Pyura chilensis is one of the more shockingly bizarre tunichates, and seems to disprove the popular wisdom that you cannot get “blood from a stone.” The creature looks for all the world like an ancient, craggy rock, but inside is bright, red flesh. These South American “sea tomatoes” are a popular delicacy in Chile, a large part of their limited native range.
What about you? Would you eat one of these things? I reckon you are much braver than I am if you would!
Coffee out on the patio this morning. Showers are predicted this afternoon, but for now it's dry and humid!
