A golden, orb-like object found on the ocean floor off Alaska's coast has left scientists stumped.
The unique blob has been fished out, with work now underway to discover its origins.
It's about 10cm in diameter, the US' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said.
The organisation's ocean exploration team found the specimen on a rocky outcrop last week at a depth of about 3300 metres, with one of the team's videographers calling it a "yellow hat".
"This golden orb, likely an egg casing, struck an imaginative chord for many," the team said.
Other possibilities include that it's a dead sponge attachment or a type of coral.
But that hasn't stopped speculation. "Obviously an alien egg," one social media user commented.
"It's like the beginning of a horror movie," one scientist said.
"Pretty sure this is how the first episode of the 'X Files' started," another added.
NOAA hopes to have a definitive answer soon.
"Isn't the deep sea so delightfully strange?" NOAA Ocean Exploration's Sam Candio said.
"We still are not able to identify it beyond the fact that it is biological in origin.
"While somewhat humbling to be stumped by this finding, it serves as a reminder of how little we know about our own planet and how much is left to learn and appreciate about our ocean."
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