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The photo was taken by David Ford, who saw hoards of the creatures and then shared the photo with Bay Nature Magazine on December 6.

“I had no idea what they might be – it went on for two miles. I walked for another half hour and they were scattered everywhere. There were seagulls lined up the beach the whole way having eaten so much they could barely stand,” Ford said in an interview with VICE News.

According to Ivan Parr, a biologist who writes for Bay Nature: the species of worm gets its unique sausage shape by burrowing in the mud or sand for shelter or food.

The physical design of the fat innkeeper worm has some explaining to do

“Yes, the physical design of the fat innkeeper worm has some explaining to do. But the fat innkeeper is perfectly shaped for a life spent underground. Within a beach or mudflat, it digs a U-shaped burrow extending a few feet in length but no wider than the worm itself,” wrote Parr.

He said the worm typically lives up to 25 years and there is fossil evidence that dates the species back 300 million years to a pre-historic era.

This might be unusual in California, but the worm is commonly eaten and even considered a delicacy in some East Asian countries. The dish is commonly served with a savoury sauce and is surprisingly sweet – though the only ones feasting on this meal are the seagulls.