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Rockpooler discovers a stunning Rainbow Sea Slug in South Cornwall – this is only the fourth time the rare creature has been seen in the UK
- Vicky Barlow saw the Rainbow Sea Slug under a rock covered in seaweed
- The rare species is usually seen off the coast of Spain, Portugal and France
At first glance at the creature in these images, you might mistake it for the latest children’s cartoon character.
But the creature is very real and was spotted earlier this month by an eagle-eyed rock pooler in South Cornwall.
Vicky Barlow, a volunteer at The Rock Pool Projectfound the Rainbow Sea Slug under a heavy rock covered in seaweed.
“Once carefully placed in a jar for viewing, the beautiful animal unfurled and revealed itself in full technical color,” she said.
The sighting marks only the fourth time the rare creature has been seen in the UK.
At first glance at the creature in these images, you might mistake it for the latest popular cartoon character. But the creature is very real and was spotted earlier this month by an eagle-eyed rock pooler in South Cornwall
Vicky Barlow, a volunteer with The Rock Pool Project, saw the Rainbow Sea Slug under a heavy rock covered in seaweed
Mrs. Barlow accidentally found the Rainbow Sea Slug in a rock pool in Falmouth, having already seen a large Edible Crab, a Green Sea Urchin and several Cushion Stars in the area.
“If you’ve pooled as much as I have in the past year, you’re starting to get an eye for which rocks are most likely to have something of interest,” she explained.
“The last stone I picked up was just one of those.
“It was quite a large, heavy rock, covered with various seaweeds, and once I was lifted, something extremely bright and unusual caught my eye.
‘I’ve been reading a lot about slugs lately and knew exactly what the colorful blob was for me!
‘The Extremely Rare Rainbow Sea Slug!’
As the name suggests, the Rainbow Sea Slug (or Babakina anadoni) is known for its bright colors.
Although usually seen off the coast of Spain, Portugal and France, it has only been sighted three times before in UK waters.
‘The first sighting was in August 2022 and since then there have been a handful of sightings by divers and snorkelers, but to our knowledge this is the first time this species has been found by a rockpooler in the UK!’ said Mrs Barlow.
After discovering the Rainbow Sea Slug, Mrs. Barlow gathered her fellow “slug enthusiasts” to observe the rare creature.
As the name suggests, the Rainbow Sea Slug (or Babakina anadoni) is known for its bright colors
“We all watched in awe as the creature navigated the pot,” she said.
“Like most slugs, it had quite a personality, rising up to get a better look at its surroundings and using its tentacle-like “cerata” along its back to make itself appear larger if one of our hands got too close.”
The team took several photos and videos of the creature before placing it back in the rock pool.
‘It’s absolutely amazing what you can find on our rocky shores, and today was a perfect example of the incredible wildlife we have on our doorstep here in Cornwall,’ Ms Barlow added.