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Wild Animals
Shore Life
Seashores vary enormously from rocky coastlines, shingle beaches, sand beaches to the muddy shores and salt marshes or estuaries and bays. The creatures that inhabit these various types of shores vary just as dramatically.
Shingle beaches probably provide the least favourable environment for wildlife because shingle is made up of vast numbers of loose rounded stones which are unstable and move a lot preventing most forms of life from getting a foothold.
Sandy shores are also unstable, but sand allows various creatures to burrow under its surface. Lugworms, bivalve molluscs such as cockles and razor shells, shrimps and some fish like the Weever Fish can live there.
A rocky coastline allows rock pools to develop. These rock pools can provide a oases for wildlife and creatures such as barnacles, se anemones, crabs, mussels, shrimps, limpits, sea urchins, seahorses and rock pool fish all of which can flourish in rock pools.
In sheltered areas when the force of the sea is minimal, like in estuaries and bays, the very smallest suspended particles are deposited as mud or silt. This silt is high in nutritional value and allows sea creatures such as worms and bivalve molluscs (like cockles) to flourish. These in turn provide food for wading sea birds which often love to feed in large numbers. Many seashore environments and their wildlife are under threat from over use either commercially or recreationally. Care needs to be taken.
Anemone (Beadlet)
The Beadlet Anemone is a small sea creature that is bright red and covered with lots of stinging tentacles. It can be found all around the shores of England in rock pools and in t
Anemone (Plumose)
The Plumose Anemone is a long column-shaped sea creature that has stinging tentacles. It can be found all around the shores of England in strong flowing water. It is often found cli
Anemone (Snakelocks)
The Snakelocks Anemone is a small green sea creature with long stinging tentacles. It can be seen on the western coastline of England and in the English Channel. It can also be
Barnacle (Acorn)
Acorn Barnacles are cone-shaped marine crustaceans that can be found along most of the rocky coasts of England at low tide. They can be seen clinging onto rocks and other hard sur
Coat-of-mail Chiton
The Coat-of-mail Chiton is a mollusc that has a soft brown body enclosed in a small oval-shaped shell and can be found on the west and south-west coasts of England. It has the nam
Cockle (Common)
The Common Cockle is also known as the Edible Cockle. It is a ‘bivalve’ mollusc which means it has a soft body enclosed in two hinged shells, just like the Common Oyster and
Crab (Common Shore)
The Common Shore Crab is also known as the Green Shore Crab and the European Green Crab. It can be found all around the English coast in rock pools under large stones and amongst bu
Lugworm (Common)
The Common Lugworm is a segmented worm that can be pink, red, green, brown or black. It can be seen all along the English coast where there are muddy shorelines and also in sheltere
Mussel (Common)
The Common Mussel is a ‘bivalve’ mollusc which means that it has a soft body enclosed in two hinged shell, like the Grooved Razor Shell and the Common Oyster. It can be found al
Oyster (Common)
The Common Oyster is also known as the Native Oyster and the Edible Oyster. It can be found in shallow waters on solid mud, muddy sand, gravel and rocks all around our English coa
Ragworm (Harbour)
The Ragworm is a reddish-brown segmented worm that is also known as the Harbour Worm. It can be found all along the English coast where there are muddy shorelines and also in estuar
Razor Shell (Grooved)
The Grooved Razor Shell is also known as the Common Razor Shell. It is a ‘bivalve’ mollusc which means it has a soft body enclosed in two hinged shells, like the Common Mussel
Sandhopper
The Sandhopper is a small land crustacean that is also known as the Sand Flea or the Beach Flea. It has the name ‘Sandhopper’ because it hops or leaps on the sand when it is d
Whelk (Common)
The Common Whelk is a quite a large marine snail with a spiral shell. It can be found all around the coast of England in both shallow and deep waters on sandy and muddy sea beds
Worm (Green Leaf)
The Green Leaf Worm is a bright green or a yellow-green segmented worm that can be found all around the English coast. It is quite an active worm that can be seen moving around on
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