Strawberry Anemone, Actina fragacea

This Strawberry Anemone, Actina fragacea, was found at Osmington, Dorset. It has decided to attach it self on the glass close to some Beadlets & Snakelocks.

It can be tough being a Hermit Crab

The smaller of these two Hermit Crabs, Pagurus bernhardus, is having a tough time of it. Firstly it appears to have lost it's front claws when changing skin & now it has chosen to exchange it's small shell for one that is far too large for it, also a larger Hermit Crab then trys to attack the smaller one. I must admit we did step in & help the little fellow, see the two videos below.

Sea Slug, Aeolidia papillosa ?

A small white sea slug appeared in the aquarium today, I believe that it could be a small Grey Sea Slug, Aeolidia papillosa, it is only about 1cm long.

If it is Aeolidia papillosa then the Beadlet Anemones, Actinia equina, could be in danger as it feeds on these.

 

Rock Pooling at Osmington in November

Went to Osmington in Dorset for the first time. The tide was quite low & many of the rocks were exposed & the following species were found in the rock-pools:-
Snakelock Anemones, Beadlet Anemones, Strawberry Anemones, Shore Crabs, Hermit Crabs, Broad Clawed Porcelain Crabs, Edible Crabs, Sea Slaters , Chitons, Pipe fish, Rock Gobies, Shannys',  Wrasse,  Mysid Shrimps, Prawns, Chameleon Prawns & Amphipholis squamata Brittlestars.

Exposed Rocks

Pipe Fish

Ballen Wrasse

The video below shows a few of the Snakelocks found in the

rock-pools.

Worm Pipefish, Nerophis lumbricifomis, mating.

We have a few worm pipefish in the aquarium, they very shy & live hidden under rocks or in the thick sea weeds in the aquarium.

They are fussy feeders, taking live brine shrimp, rotifers & copepods. Today two could be seen entwined together for some 30 minutes; in the video below you can see their two heads moving together in the centre of the picture. This was the best I could record on video.

 Click on the play button to watch video.

They only have a dorsal fin & therefore do exactly as their name implies, they worm around on the bottom.