Rare Sea Slug Found At The Écréhous

A rare Atagema gibba sea slug has been recorded at Les Écréhous.

The sea slug was found by Nick Jouault, one of the Société Jersiaise Marine Biologists.

He discovered the gastropod whilst he was looking for a different species - Berghia coerulescens - which he did not find.

Unsually, the Atagema gibba was underneath a rock in one the larger tidal pools near the Hau at the low tide mark. The species likes steep rock faces in eight to 15 metres of water.

Atagema gibba are usually chocolate brown in colour, however, this slug was lighter.

It was identified by Hsini Lin of Taiwan and later verified by Bernard Picton, UK expert from Northern Ireland.

The species is easily identified due to bumps on its back, but only five have ever been recorded in the British Isles; with two in Cornwall and two more off Sark.

4 previous records of Atagema gibba:

May 2014 Sark, Sue Daly

August 2013 Sark, Sue Daly

May 2010 Scilly Isles, Angie Gall

November 1973 Cornwall by Bernard Picton

The slug is the third new species to be found in Jersey by Nick in the last 12 months.