Now for something completely different.

I often threaten to get out there to find some seashore wildlife to post on here, but for some reason I never get around to it.. With an hour or two to spare this morning I thought I could have a look. Most rock pooling is done in summer, so I dont have much idea about what can be found inshore during the winter, but there was bound to be something...

On a gloomy but, relatively, pleasant day the large expanse of rock at Longhoughton Steel was my destination. Now this is quite a learning curve really, not knowing what gear to take, or even the best places to look, its all trial and error.

So, a few species were found in my hour and a half visit, that took me longer to identify when I got home! Its like insects and wildflowers this game....

Bladder Wrack

Knotted Wrack

As you can see from the top image, the rocks are turfed in seaweed. But what kind....So far I have  -

Knotted Wrack Ascophyllum nodosum
Bladder Wrack Fuscus vesiculosus
Corallina officinalis
Cladophora sp
Sea Lettuce Ulva sp
Pink Crust Lithothamnion glaciale

Then checking under some rocks turned up another bewildering selection. If you know this stuff please put my identifications right and let me know where I've gone wrong...

Northern Red Chiton Tonicella rubra ?

Northern Red Chiton Tonicella rubra? or maybe marmorea?

Scale Worm Harmothoe imbricata

Scale Worm sp Harmothoe imbricata

Common Brittlestar

Common Brittlestar Ophiothrix fragilis

Common Prawn

Common Prawn Palaermon serratus
Grey Topshell Gibbula cineraria
Common Limpet Patella vulgata
Common Periwinkle Littorina littorea
Beadlet Anemone Actinia equina

Common Hermit Crab with Lithothamnion glaciale on its shell ( the pink crust)

Common Hermit Crab Pagurus bernhardus

Shore Crab

Shore Crab Caranus maenas

So, nothing new for me really but a few that I have never bothered to identify properly before. See there are benefits to this Pan species Listing thing...