Rockpool exploration in Jersey
Cobalt blue sponge “terpios fugax”
Turn over a rock near Seymour Tower on one of our guided “moonwalks” in Jersey and you never know what you may find. For anyone who is fascinated by marine biology in Jersey, this is a great place to explore on the big low tides.
Dates of all our seabed explorations are listed here.
Today the sun was out and we had a small group of walkers so there was more time to explore beneath the rocks. 20 degrees in late March is pretty good for this time of year.
The first find of the day was the Cobalt blue Sponge Terpios Fugax.
Then came a tiny black and white striped creature which took a while to identify but appears to be a Candy stripe flatworm, Prosthecraeus vittatus.
How does nature come to produce such remarkable life forms? This is described as the best looking of all the flatworms. Not being an expert on flatworms i’ll accept this description. It certainly looks impressive.
It is easily overlooked as it is only a few centimetres long. We only spotted it when we checked the photos at home.
Candy stripe flatworm. What a wonderful name
Carnivorous, it feeds on small sea creatures such as sea squirts. Found in the south and west of the UK.
Turn another rock and a couple of Chitons made an appearance. Chitons graze on microscopic algae on the rocks.
If you do turn over rocks always put them back so the marine life beneath the rock is protected from the sun and predators.
Below is an excellent video about the importance of turning rocks back over after you have turned them.
Remember, it can take more than 5 years for marine life to regrow if a rock is not turned back.
A recent study in Brittany found takes between five and ten years for an upturned rock to regain a full range of sponges, molluscs, hydroids, bryozoans, ascidians, starfish, seaweeds, etc. During that recovery period, it will be inhospitable to ormers, crabs, lobsters and other desirable species. Whether you’re fishing or rock pooling – please return all stones!
Time and tide were moving on and it was soon time for us to do the same.
Leave only your footprints and just take photos.
You’ll find lots more marine life photos from our walks on our Facebook page.
Better still, join us on our walks on the seabed. Dates.