Answer: Snail antenna

What you're looking at

A snail antenna is one of two or four sensory tentacles that extend from a snail's head, depending on the species. You'll see them whenever you spot a garden snail gliding across a leaf or sidewalk, waving gently as the creature explores its surroundings.

When magnified this dramatically, a snail antenna reveals a surprisingly textured surface with a smooth, translucent or slightly bumpy exterior that can look almost alien. The extreme close-up removes all context that would normally help you recognise it, making the fine ridges and gradual taper of the antenna blend together into an abstract pattern that's easy to mistake for something entirely different.

Search for smooth, tapering cylindrical structures with subtle ridges or a slightly mottled surface texture in extreme close-ups.

How players did

28 players made 30 guesses. It took 2 guesses before someone got it right.

Most common wrong guesses: grinding wheel, slug