Southwest
Spiky creatures wash up on Texas beach, described as 'your worst nightmares’
A bearded, venomous creature has emerged on the beaches of Corpus Christi.
Prickly fireworms, also called bristle worms, washed up along the Texas Gulf Coast and beachgoers are on high alert.
The National Park Services (NPS) described the bristles as tiny, needle-like spikes, each one filled with venom, according to FOX Weather.
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“WARNING!!! Your worst nightmares are washing up right now in the form of fireworms!” the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies posted on Facebook.
“We’ve found a few of these marine polychaetes, sometimes called bristle worms, washing up over the past couple of days on large logs. The logs these were found on had gooseneck barnacles all over them, which might have been what the worms were feeding on.”
Jace Tunnell with the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies holds up a fireworm he caught this week in Corpus Christi, Texas. (Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies)
The nightmarish name for the fireworm comes from the pain inflicted when the tiny spikes are touched — a fiery pain described as lasting hours.
The bristles are filled with a mixture of neurotoxins to be used against predators.
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“Your skin can feel sensitive in the sting site for weeks depending on where it stung you,” the institute continued on its Facebook post.
“The white bristles coming off each segment of the worm are … filled with neurotoxin and they break off when you touch them.”
If you find yourself pricked by one of the poisonous spikes on a fireworm, the NPS recommends the spike be removed with the use of adhesive tape, noted FOX Weather.
The Harte Research Institute said these gnarly creatures can be found in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.
The fireworm feeds on a variety of corals, anemones and small crustaceans, such as gooseneck barnacles.
“Would hate to step on one of these. Thank you for continuing to protect us with these important segments!” one Facebook user commented.
The Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies is warning beachgoers about the presence of fireworms on the Corpus Christi beach. (Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies)
“I could have gone my whole life without knowing these things exist,” another user wrote.
The Harte Research Institute is focused on the advancement of sustainability and conservation of the Gulf of Mexico since its establishment in 2001.
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A former Riverside County man was found guilty of sex trafficking a female victim and forcing her to engage in commercial sex acts along L.A.’s notorious Figueroa Corridor.
Elias Abdul Shabazz, 34, formerly of Perris, was found guilty by a jury following a five-day trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Prosecutors said Shabazz had led the victim to believe they were in a romantic relationship before he turned physically and sexually violent. He began demanding that the victim engage in commercial sex acts from May to October of 2021, court documents said.
He carried a handgun with him and, on occasion, was accused of using it to pistol-whip the victim. He also fired the gun at her feet while threatening to kill her, prosecutors said.
At trial, the victim said Shabazz demanded that she meet a daily quota of commercial sex proceeds and that she was terrified of the consequences of not meeting that quota.
She testified that Shabazz compelled her to work in the notorious Figueroa Corridor in South L.A., a dangerous area known for human trafficking and prostitution.
Shabazz had confiscated her identification card, Social Security card and birth certificate. He constantly monitored her cell phone to stop her from communicating with any friends or family.
“He also introduced her to addictive narcotics and controlled every aspect of her life, including when she ate, slept and showered,” prosecutors said.
In May 2025, Shabazz was arrested and has remained in federal custody. His last known address at the time was in Washington, D.C.
On June 26, 2026, Shabazz was found guilty of one count of coercing or enticing interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 6, where he faces 15 years to life in prison.
“Sex trafficking matters rank among the most tragic cases our office prosecutes,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “This defendant will now face many years in a federal prison cell for his sick, disgusting, and disturbing behavior.”
“Elias Shabazz preyed on a vulnerable victim using physical and sexual violence and cruel psychological coercion to compel commercial sex acts for his own profit,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “There is no place for this type of conduct in civilized society. We deeply respect the victim’s courage to face her trafficker in court. The Criminal Division will continue to bring these cases and try them.”
Anyone with information about human trafficking can report tips to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888
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