On this years survey of Hannafore point, Looe. Shoresearch volunteers were amazed, on lifting a large flat rock, to find nearly all of the lower shore animals you would expect to find on the shore under one rock!
the total number of animal species found was 21.
here is the list;
Shore rockling x4
Velvet crabs x 4
Shanny x1 (large)
Broad clawed porcelain crabs x8
Athanas nitescence (boy racer shrimps) x 8
Bootlace worm (Britains longest animal species) x1m (juvenile)
Scale worm x1
Worm pipefish x 4
Montagu's crab x 4
Longhorned porcelain crab x4
Squat lobster (
Galathea squamifera)x 3
Star ascidian 1x colony
Strawberry ascidian (
Aplidium proliferum)
Sea lemon x2
Hermit crab x1
pale beige breadcrumb sponge
Halichondria panicea x1
Keel worms *30
Cthalamus and
Semibalanus barnacles x 400 (ish)
Volcano barnacles x 30 (ish)
Spirorbis worms x 300 (ish)
Risso's Crab x 1
Grand total 21 species
 |
| Rob lifts the rock of Dreams |
Individual animals 797!!
 |
| Squat Lobster Galathea squamifera |
 |
| Shore Rockling (note 3 barbels around mouth) |
 |
| Shanny - photo Matt Slater |
 |
| Broad Clawed porcelain Crab Porcellana platycheles |
 |
| Long horned porcelain crab Pisidia longicornis |
 |
| Breadcrumb sponge Halichondria panicea |
 |
| Montagu's Crab |
The rest of the survey went very well too! We decided to carry out a transect survey along a long gully so that it can easily be repeated in future. Heather (www.cornishrockpools.com) did a walkover survey in the lagoon and found stalked jellies among the eel grass! On the extreme lower shore we also found a really cool chameleon prawn. Thanks to Amelia, Micky, Cheryl, Rob, Heather and Louis, John and Jasmina who all turned out to help! It was a great day.
 |
| Chameleon prawn Hippolyte varians - by Matt Slater |
 |
| Stalked Jellyfish Lecernariopsis campanlata -Heather Buttinvant |
 |
| The tide flooded in incredibly rapidly! |
 |
| Shorecrabs Carcinus maenas - its a crab eats crab world out there! |
