Chasing Rainbows

Posted by Graeme Lyons , Thursday, 6 November 2025 16:25


Well that was worth setting my alarm for 3.30 am for! I have just had FOUR nudibranch lifers at Silver Steps, Falmouth in Cornwall. I'll start with the species I have wanted to see more than any other since I first clapped eyes on it. The Rainbow Sea Slug Babakina anadoni! It was almost dream like seeing this today. In fact, I really wasn't expecting to pick this up today (I was aiming for it tomorrow) so when I turned a rock and found a pair together as the tide was coming in, I was pretty stoked. It was also a lifer for Finley and Louis! I said, "anyone who finds it has to shout BABAKINA!!! as load as they can!" Which I took great enjoyment in doing.

Here are a few more shots. The first one is my first shot shorty after I saw it for the first time, I almost forgot to breathe today.


They were bigger than I was expecting. Finley took this pic of me looking rather pleased.

Well, it's gonna be hard to top that. Or is it? This is the Hair-curler Sea Slug Spurilla neapolitana. Seemingly only the 18th record for Britain after Charlotte Cumming found the first here only two months ago. This was one of the largest sea slugs I have seen that wasn't a dorid. Check this utter beauty out! Sad to see it had lost a rhinophore.


I am pretty sure these are the eggs, which I found high up the beach after about 10 minutes of getting there.

Check this video out! It reminds me of that bonkers alien from the sci-fi movie Life.

I took this over to show some girls I was chatting to in the car park and bumped into another rockpooler called Vicky Barlow. She just so happened to be looking for Spurilla so was very pleased. She's also the person who found the first Babakina (other than divers) so gave me some great tips on where to look that totally paid off.

I found my first (very overdue) Limacia clavigera. Finley found another one. It's really not that scarce but one I have failed to see until now.

Then Louis found this, which is Facelina annulicornis, identified by Vicky and my 4th nudibranch lifer of the day! That's me on 35 species of nudibranch, all this year.

I found this which I think is a St John's Jellyfish Calvadosia cruxmelitensis, only the second time I have seen one. Thanks to Finley for the photo. I was too furiously searching for Babakina at this point to stop to take a photo of this.

And I had one more lifer. A Black Brittlestar Ophiocomina nigra! I thought these were deep water species, so was glad to spot one. Finley showed me the smooth black disc of the animal is the clincher! Result.

Is there such a thing as too many sea slugs? Hell no! Send more nudis! 

I think I need to sleep now.

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