Once a month we will be sharing a marine species reported via the Fair Isle Marine WhatsApp group. This group is a space for community members and visitors to the isle to share any interesting marine finds. These reports also contribute to marine species records for Fair Isle to help monitor changes in biodiversity.
This month we have this beautiful slender sea slug- Facelina auriculata found at Sompal by Henry Hyndman.
Distributed throughout the British Isles, these organisms are characterised by the numerous purple structures extending from their bodies known as cerata. These structures function in respiration, metabolism and defence in some species of sea slug.
Facelina auriculata can be found under boulders in the intertidal and sublittoral zone and are known to mostly feed on various species of hydroids.
📸 Tommy Hyndman