This 200kg Sea Monster Was Branded a ‘Man-Eater’ — but Never Ate Anyone

For generations, one of the ocean’s largest shellfish carried a reputation far more frightening than its real behaviour. Stories transformed a slow, stationary animal into a supposed underwater predator capable of trapping divers.

The truth is stranger in a different way. Its enormous size, vivid colours, unusual diet and dependence on sunlight reveal an animal that is remarkable without being dangerous.