Wildlife of the Solway
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69. The Electric Ray – Wildlife Of The Solway
69. The Electric Ray (Torpedo nobiliana) – Wildlife Of The Solway This is an unusual fish but very widespread in temperate seas including British waters. It has no commercial value but is caught occasionally as a by- catch by commercial trawlers and recreational anglers with somewhat shocking consequences! It has uniformly dark colouration and a […]
70. The Ballan Wrasse – Wildlife of The Solway
70. The Ballan Wrasse (Labrus bergylta) – Wildlife of The Solway The Ballan is the largest of several Wrasse species found around the UK , inhabiting rocky reefs down to 50m, particularly when Kelp seaweed forests are present. When they are small their colouration changes to better match their surroundings, so various shades of green […]
68. The Topknot – Wildlife of the Solway
The Topknot – Wildlife of the Solway This is a rarely seen fish even though it is distributed widely around Britain, mainly because it lives on rocky ground and is not a commercially targeted species. It is described as a left sided flatfish as its right eye has migrated around the head when it is […]
67. The Plaice. Wildlife of the Solway
67. The Plaice. Wildlife of the Solway The Plaice is one of the best known commercially exploited fish species with approximately 5,000 tons landed every year around Britain. Its range is from the Barents Sea in the North to the Mediterranean in the south. It has been seriously overfished in the past but now stocks […]
66. The Tadpole Shrimp. Wildlife of the Solway
66. The Tadpole Shrimp. Wildlife of the Solway Wildlife of The Solway Firth Number 66. The Tadpole Shrimp (Triops Cancriformis) by Mark Vollers On the Scottish side of the Solway Firth at Caerlaverock in remote brackish estuarine pools lives one of the oldest living species on earth, little changed for more than 200 million years. […]
65. Native Lobster Breeding. Wildlife of The Solway
Wildlife of The Solway – 65 – Native Lobster Breeding. For the last five years the Lake District Coast Aquarium has been running a lobster hatchery as part of the aquarium display sequence. As a result of its successful operation we have released several thousand juveniles back into West Cumbrian coastal waters. Apart from the […]
64. The Sea Potato (Echinocardium cordatum) Wildlife of The Solway
64. Wildlife of The Solway Firth. The Sea Potato. Echinocardium cordatum. After a stormy period when the shallow sandy seabed of The Solway Firth has been agitated and re-arranged by waves and currents you may discover one or more strange looking pale potato size objects on the tideline. On further investigation, if they are found […]
63. Fossils. Wildlife of The Solway Firth
63. Wildlife of The Solway Firth. Fossils. For most of us anyway the chance finding of a fossil whilst walking on a beach is a magical moment, a reminder of life forms that existed millions of years ago. The Solway Firth area in geological terms has not been submerged that long, only since the last […]
60. The Pogge (Agonus Cataphractus) Wildlife of the Solway
#60 The Pogge (Agonus Cataphractus) Wildlife of the Solway Firth The Pogge or Hooknose is a very distinctive and easy to recognise small fish normally growing up to 10cm long but occasionally reaching 15 cm or more. Overall colour is grey/brown with dark patches. It is not uncommon and is listed as a species of […]
61. The Spiny Starfish (Marthasterias Glacialis) Wildlife of the Solway
#61 The Spiny Starfish (Marthasterias Glacialis) Wildlife of the Solway Firth This is a potentially quite large ( up to 70cm/28in across) brownish/greenish grey starfish, sometimes with purple tips, that is native to Britain and found on the western coasts of England, Wales and Scotland. You are very unlikely to find one in a rockpool […]
