So I have just got back from the longest holiday I have had in a decade. Ten days on Jersey. After really getting the bug last September, I was desperate to get back there and get in the rock pools again and this time I timed it so I could do some rock-pooling every day for that whole period. More importantly though, I was accompanied each day by Nicolas Jouault, who took us to all the best places on the island (including a two day trip to the Ecrehous, which was so awesome it's getting its own blog post). Nick's knowledge of the island's marine species and where and how to find them is incredible and I am so grateful for all the time he gave me. Here's me, Karen, Nick and Lou Wagstaffe (Lou came out with us to La Pulente and showed us loads of stuff there - check out Lou's amazing photography here).
We did find rather a lot! Before I get to Nick's discovery of Discodoris rosi, please indulge me in this sequence of dorids, neatly setting me up for a rather stupid gag...
We saw plenty of these Warty Doris Doris verrucosa. Not a new one for me but a pleasure to see these large nudis again. They're almost too big for the macro!
On the second morning out with Nick, we headed to Le Hocq and Nick soon found our target species. The behemoth among nudibranchs, Dendrodoris limbata. This massive species should be handled with care, as it secretes a toxin to help it consume the sponges that it feeds on. I went on to find another three animals, including two immatures! I could not get enough of them. This was one of the key targets for me on this trip. They are a recent arrival to Jersey.
Terrible photo, but turning a rock to see Dendrodoris limbata and a Green Ormer in a 'yin and yang' like embrace is the most Jersey thing ever! There were three species of nudibranch under this rock. While I am at it, it's vital to turn rocks back the way you found them and gently too. It kills the life under them that can't move very quickly. There are some utter tools out there doing this wholesale, likely driven by illegal fishing. Just turn the rocks back, it really isn't that hard. Anyway, rant over.
We saw quite a few Sea Lemons Doris pseudoargus. A common and widespread dorid.
This one was a lifer. Geitodoris planata. Large and dark, often with pale starry patterns on them. These were at La Rocque and also the Ecrehous.
Then back to the star of the show. Nick found a bright orange-red dorid under a rock at La Pulente. We thought it was something else at first but then noticed the pale rings. It's the ridiculously named Discodoris rosi. DISCODORIS! FREAK OUT! And freak out, I did. That was the most unexpected find and completely new to the Channel Islands! Nice one, Nick.
Here are the best of my shots. Check out the translucent bases to the rhinophores.
And finally, Grannydoris hominesis. A recent DNA test led to the discovery that I am one quarter nudibranch, explaining my obsession with these awesome creatures! You see, my late Granny Doris fooled everyone for decades - we had no idea she was a nudibranch (to be fair, I did always think it was odd that she got through so many sponges). Here she is with her rhinophores retracted, awaiting a fresh delivery of sponge from Kwik Save. Miss ya, Gran.
Anyways. Back to reality. Another lifer for me was the awesome little Celtic Sea Slug Onchidella celtica (not a nudi though). They are all over the pier at La Rocque, we saw some 50 animals in a square metre. You find these sitting out of the water quite high up the shore, they are very slug-like but cute.
Edmundsella pedata was the commonest sea slug on Jersey. I saw 50 in one day and well over a 100 on the trip.
Nice to see a tiny Montagu's Blenny right at the top of the beach. This was a four blenny trip, I think well over 20 species of fish in all. I'll cover them more on the Ecrehous post.
I got a lot of lifers in the squidgy groups, like sponges and tunicates! Here we have Pyura tessellata.
And what I have as Ascidiella scabra.
I should have warned this post goes on for ever. Aeolidiella alderi was widespread but in low numbers. We had one or two on each session.
And what I believe are their eggs. A bit of foreshadowing here. Many nudibranchs are identifiable by their eggs through experience, association and deduction...
Remember the rock I said had three nudibranchs under at Le Hocq? It had a single Dendrodoris and a couple of Edmundsella and round the edge it looked to be covered in small hydroids. I went for the close focus binocular trick and spotted a tiny bit of egg white with yellow highlights. Hold on a minute, that's a nudi! We gently got it into the lid of the Ferroro Rocher box and it was none other than Trapania maculata (turns out this was only the 4th record for the island). For the record, this was a 12 nudibranch trip!
At Rozel I found my first cup corals. These were common on the Ecrehous. This is Scarlet-and-gold Cup Coral Balanophyllia regia.
Also there, Manilla Clam Ruditapes phillipinarum. A recent non-native introduction to the island.
Facelina auriculata is surprisingly uncommon there. We only found two (one at La Rocque, one al La Pulente).
This place is incredible, like the surface of some alien world. Just watch these tides though, you can get caught out here easily. It's dangerous if you are not experienced and reading the tide all the time to go out far.
We found a couple of these stalked jellyfish Calvadosia campanulata, which is the one I see most often.
Nick identified this bryozoan at La Pulente, as the rarely-recorded Schizomavella sarniensis. There's so much stuff like this on the rocks, most of which I am clueless about. It's humbling but insanely addictive. I love being outside of my comfort zone.
I got very excited by this mollusc, only to figure out it's just an immature cowrie sp. (Trivia).
Round the other side of the island to Archirondel, Karen found these two Parasitic Anemones Calliactis parasitica.
And Nick showed me this incredible sea weed there too. It's Codium bursar and is quite scarce. It feels like a sponge and well deserves the colloquial name of French Beret.
Man, I can't get enough of this stuff. As you can imagine, I am pretty stoked. A huge thanks to Nick for all his help, time and knowledge. We were lucky with the weather but we saw no one else out recording in the rock pools. I am surprised that so few people are recording marine wildlife on Jersey. It's really important to record and submit records, so this is a plea for anyone reading this on the island or travelling there for a break, to do so. It's changing all the time too through climate change and accidental introductions and documenting these changes is really important stuff.
Furthermore, you can support the study of natural history on Jersey by joining the Societe Jersiaise here.
OK, I need a breather after all that. But I leave you with this collage that says it all really. Each of these was a lifer from this trip. I think I added about 55 species!
I find it hard to believe that I have managed to miss out on a 95 mile stretch of mind-blowing coastline on the south coast for 36 years until now but I have. Tony, Seth and I took the day off and headed to Kimmeridge Bay in Dorset. The first thing I said as I got out of the car is 'What's that?' pointing at Portland showing my ignorance of this landscape. I have literally missed out on this entire stretch of coast all my life. And what the heck is going on with 'double low tides'?! The tide went out and stayed out for at least three hours. Who knew? I didn't manage to magic up ten new species of fish for my list but we did get ten species of fish in total including two lifers for me.
Above is the Cornish Sucker or Shore Clingfish. I was VERY pleased to see this freaky little fellow. We only saw one and I found it by turning a rock over. I watched it roll off the underside of the rock thinking, "that must have been a clingfish" but it plopped into the water and disappeared. I thought it couldn't have swam far, so I swept the Serrated Wrack with my net in the surrounding area and there it was! It didn't have any markings though, no big blue spots on the top of the head. The fin arrangement and head tentacles are diagnostic though. Here is the full list, species in bold were new for me.
Cornish Sucker 1
Rock Goby 3
Five-bearded Rockling 1
Small-headed Clingfish 4
Long-spined Sea Scorpion 1
Sea Bass 2
Sand Smelt 1
Mullet sp. Many
Corkwing Wrasse Many
Shanny Many
Rock Goby was a cracking fish being by far the biggest goby (and my fifth goby) that I have ever seen. The pale top to the first dorsal is distinctive. They go pale in the tray before you get the camera out being naturally much darker animals. Had to work quite hard to get this list though and pulled a muscle in my forearm in the process! Quite a work out.
This was a 'two clingfish day' though and this gorgeous little
Small-headed Clingfish couldn't have looked more different in colour and pattern than the ones I saw
off Brighton two years ago. These ones were perfectly camouflaged against the yellow-orange of the
Serrated Wrack.
Now some stuff that isn't fish. I was pleased to see my first Gem Anemone. Cracking little things!
The rather stunning (but not QUITE rainbow) Rainbow Wrack. I think you need to be there for this one.
The Sea Hares (my first since Rhosneigr in 2002) seemed to like the Rainbow Wrack.
Thanks to Seth I got my first two barnacles! They were the awesome
Volcano Barnacle Balanus perforatus and these striking
Chthamalus stellatus.
I've definitely got the Jurassic Coast bug, I can't wait to go back and have another go! A big thanks to Jessica in the Marine Centre and the Dorset Wildlife Trust for their advice on where to go and what to see. I never did get that Tompot Blenny though, so I will have to go back!
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