At approximately 7mm long, this tropical hair curler sea slug (Spurilla neapolitana) is normally found in the Caribbean, Mediterranean and western Atlantic. The first UK sighting of this sea slug was on the south coast of Cornwall last autumn and that was the furthest north the species had ever been found - until now, with this new record of the species being present at Jennycliff beach near Plymouth.
Britta Saffron Holmes
Britta Saffron Holmes
"When I found it under a stone I had no idea that it was a first sighting of this species in Devon, I was just struck by how tiny and beautiful it was. I love learning about different species as I discover them, especially as such a variety of marine life can be found right on the coastline of a busy city such as Plymouth!"
Reflecting on what drew her to start rockpooling as a hobby, she added:
"I found my first sea slug aged 12 when abroad but only got the opportunity to rock pool regularly since moving to the south west and then near to the coast. It’s now an obsession - I love it! There are so many fascinating creatures living just below the tideline, it’s so busy with life yet it’s so relaxing to zone in, focus and gently look for them whist hearing the sounds of the coast, it’s exciting but calming too."
Britta Saffron Holmes
Britta Saffron Holmes
"This is an amazing find and shows just what can be found in our oceans when we take the time to look. These new arrivals are a sign of our changing climate and we’ll be keeping an eye out for them during our monthly Shoresearch surveys."
If you'd like to see what you can discover at Devon's coasts, you can join one of our many upcoming marine events.
Be sure to follow the Seashore Code - a short set of guidelines that everyone can follow to help to protect the rocky shore habitat and the plants and animals that call Devon home.
