The fossil record of a mysterious sea creature that existed 430 million years ago was dug up in Herefordshire county in southwestern England.

"Special preserved remains" have been identified by UK and US paleontologists as distant ancestors of manatees and other sea cucumbers.

In such a bizarre form, this creature was named Sollasina cthulhu after the most famous creature of horror writer HP Lovecraft - the inspiration behind the alien films.

Fossils identified by paleontologists as distant ancestors of manatees and other sea cucumbers (Photo: Imran Rahman / Oxford Uni / SWNS)

Cthuhlu appeared in a series of stories by the American author - who likened it to a giant-sized hybrid, human-like body, dragon wings behind his back but the head of the octopus with contact. Scary tu.

Although fossils are just over an inch (3cm) wide, its long tentacles make it look monstrous for other small marine creatures.

It is thought that this animal used these limbs or "pipe legs" to catch food and crawl on the sea floor.

The creature was found in volcanic ash mines in Herefordshire at a time when much of Europe’s land mass was submerged below sea level.

This creature is named Sollasina cthulhu according to the monstrous character, the inspiration behind the alien films of horror writer HP Lovecraft.

Lead author Dr. Imran Rahman, deputy head of research at Oxford University’s Museum of Natural History, said: "Sollasina belongs to an extinct group called ophiocistioids and this new document provides the first information on structure. internal structure of the group ”.

Sollasina Cthuhlu has no eyes but is very sensitive to light. They live in shallow water and tend to hide during the daytime, going out at night to feed. They will quickly recover their tentacles when attacked.

Cthulhu is the inspiration for 20th-century alien films (Photo: 20 Century Fox)

Like other fossils from Herefordshire, Sollasina cthulhu is studied by means of grinding it away, layer by layer, at each stage will be taken with a photograph.

This allows the team to visualize each layer within the organism that they explain as part of a vascular system that makes it easier for them to feed and move.

The fossil and 3D reconstructions of Sollasina Cthuhlu are now stored at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.