Ever wanted to know what Patrick from SpongeBob SquarePants would look like in real life?
Well today's your lucky day, because a viral photo doing the rounds at the moment shows a starfish with what looks like a huge butt - and everyone's comparing him to the pink sea creature.
And to be fair, the likeness is uncanny...
The photo was uploaded by Twitter user @Babyshoujo, alongside the caption: "Saw a thicc ass starfish at the aquarium today".
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They'd taken the unusual snap after spotting the starfish as it clung to a rock at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California.
Safe to say that outrageous butt that is, frankly, outta control has captured the attention of thousands.
The meme and GIF game is strong, as are the comments which continue to fly in.
"How this star has a better ass shape than me... seriously," wrote one user, while another chimed in with, "Patrick double cheeked up on a Sunday afternoon."
But as much as we joke about the big-butted sea star, there is a perfectly reasonable explanation - and it has nothing to do with SpongeBob, unfortunately.
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Nate Jaros, curator of fish and invertebrates at the aquarium, spoke to USAToday to clear up the truth behind the photo.
"Sea stars are actually invertebrates or animals without backbones and not fish despite people commonly referring to them as 'starfish'," he said.
They're not stars either, but hey, I'm no expert.
"In this photo, the sea star is on a vertical rock face with two of its arms holding the rock and two arms hanging in a relaxed position.
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"Sea stars sometimes relax their arms such as when they are eating. Since the sea star is oriented vertically, gravity is causing its internal components to slump."
The real answer is way less fun, but important nonetheless, particularly when you factor in the effects of climate change.
Jaros went on to explain that starfish, sorry sea stars, are under threat as water pollution and temperatures continue to increase in the sea.
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"Two ways people can help sea stars in the wild this summer are by not purchasing dried - or dead - sea stars, which can sometimes be found in souvenir shops," he said.
"And being respectful of them if you see them at the beach such as being mindful of where you step and not trying to move or pick up the animals."
Same goes for any Squidwards and Mr Crabs you come across too.
Featured Image Credit: NickelodeonTopics: Viral
