Is there a such thing as sea strawberries?

Answer 1

I assume you are referring to the "Sea Strawberries" that afflicted the crew of the We're Here in Rudyard Kipling's Captains Courageous. Unfortunately, we do not know exactly as to what the author was referring to. Most likely it was some form of red jellyfish that stuck to the lines as they were being hauled up. It has also been suggested that it could be a form of bryozoan, though only one or two species cause irritation, and that is very light. There is also a type of soft coral called Sea Strawberries (Gersemia Rubiformis). These do not sting, although there are some corals that do (however, hydroid corals do NOT look similar to the strawberries). In Europe a form of sea-squirt or sponge is also called a Sea Strawberry, the Aplidium Elegans. I do not believe that these sting however.