Mysterious creature -- Mysterious creature --

Here is some provocative video of a mysterious creature encountered by Japanese fishermen on a rocky seashore.

The excitement begins when the three men notice a group of strange animals on the side of a nearby cliff. Curious, they approach for a closer look and eventually manage to corner one. (The close encounter begins at 1:45 into the video.)

The slimy, pulsating beast -- like something out of a Cronenberg film -- appears to be some sort of amphibious sea animal that ventured ashore. After poking and prodding the creature with a stick and flipping it over to reveal an undulating, sphincter-like orifice, one of the men rashly -- and unwisely -- decides to give it a swig of his carbonated beverage. You don't want to miss the explosive conclusion.

Is this a bizarre new species? Alien creature? Spectacular hoax? You be the judge.

[Link: New bizarre animal discovered in Japan]