The mermaid’s purse hasn’t been out of style for millions of years. That’s because it is the fanciful name for the egg case for some of the oldest creatures on the planet — skates, rays ...

Each of the hundred or so pouches, known as mermaid purses, is the temporary home of a baby deep-sea skate — a spade-shaped fish related to rays and, more distantly, sharks.

Ocean warming could hit shark survival Infant sharks that live in the familiar mermaids’ purses found on most beaches in the UK and throughout the world are more vulnerable to predation because of ...

“Oh, and the mermaid’s purse,” Eason added. If you catch one of their purses, be sure to look inside. You might find a gift certificate from an Ocean Springs merchant or another small gift.