AFAIR, a similar error can be generated by the shell if a perl script containing Windoze line endings and having execute permissions is run on a *NIX (specifically Solaris) box - the shell mis-understands the shebang line.
Update:
Thanx to almut for the nudge - when I say shell, I should've said OS (on/in which the shell runs).
A user level that continues to overstate my experience :-))