Devil’s Finger Fungus Hatch Like a Xenomorph Egg 

This fungus is just nuts. It’s creepy and red and charred looking. It’s also called an octopus stinkhorn. Clearly, it must be one of the lesser-known spawn of the great Cthulhu. Or possibly grandspawn?

Ever seen a fungus hatch? Yeah, we hadn’t either, and it’s weird AF. While this crazy organism looks better suited to life on Proteus than Earth, the devil’s finger fungus (Clathrus archeri) is Native to Australia and New Zealand. It typically appears as a white, gelatinous orb, but when it comes time for fruiting, the ‘egg’ opens, unleashing four to eight blood-red arms (and likely a pinch of doom) on the world. While unappealing to us humans, what you’re seeing is actually a rather ingenious method of reproduction. The tentacles are laced with a foul smelling tissue, specially formulated to attract flies and other insects. When bugs come-a-knockin’, they get to feed on the slimy substance, but not before their feet are coated with fungus’ spores. It’s a tactic also used by many stinkhorn fungi, which (like the devil’s finger) belong to the order phallales. Once the insects leave the area, they bring the precious spores with them, and thus the lifecycle can start anew. Not every

Source: Watch the Devil’s Finger Fungus Hatch Like a Xenomorph Egg | Nerdist