MARINE
LIFE NEWS
Reports
of marine wildlife from all around the British Isles, with pollution incidents
and conservation initiatives as they affect the flora and fauna of the
NE Atlantic Ocean.
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17
August 2008
Nine
potentially Portuguese Man-o'-War, Physalia
physalis, were washed up on the West Sussex coast. The creatures,
which can give a nasty sting, were found on beaches at Bracklesham
Bay, East Wittering, West Wittering and Selsey.
11
August 2008
Three
Portuguese
Man-o'-War, Physalia physalis,
were washed ashore on the Dorset coast, notably one at
Kimmeridge
Bay which was placed on display in the Marine
Life Centre.
4
August 2008
I
discovered a Portuguese Man-o'-War, Physalia
physalis, on Southsea
seafront, Portsmouth, to the east of the pier. This particular one was
transparent rather than the distinctive blue colour and was only identified
by its shape and form. The sting on the
palm of my hand was mild but persistent and still felt ten days afterwards.
Portuguese
Man-o'-War are a jellyfish type type of colonial
hydroid that are washed up on western shores and sometimes on the English
Channel coast in small numbers in some (less than half) years.
A
Portuguese Man-o'-War was also washed up at Smuggler's
Cove, Holcombe, near Teignmouth, in south Devon.
BMLSS
Jellyfish and other Medusa
BMLSS
Portuguese
Man-o'-War
31
July - 1 August 2008
An
eight metre long Northern Bottle-nosed
Whale, Hyperoodon ampullatus, became
stranded in Langstone
Harbour, east Hampshire. It was very sick with suspected kidney failure
and after it was beached the second time, the whale was euthanised with
a fatal dose of the fast-acting anaesthetic Immobilon.
The
Northern
Bottle-nosed Whale is a deep water species.
It is usually observed off the Atlantic coasts of northern Britain and
Ireland, during the summer months. This species has a very pronounced forehead
and in many ways resembles a very large
Bottle-nosed
Dolphin,
Tursiops
truncatus. This whale feeds mainly
on squid
which is not available in large enough quantities in the English Channel.
BMLSS
Cetaceans
BMLSS
Whales & Dolphins (by Steve Savage)
26
July 2008
I found
a Giant Goby, Gobius
cobitus, in a rockpool at Portholland
beach, south Cornwall. This one was in rude health, and was released of
course following some photography. I didn't have the good fortune to have
a ruler with me but would estimate the fish to be approx 20 cm long.
The
Giant
Goby is a protected
species and collection is forbidden.
BMLSS
Gobies
5 June
2008
In
the early hours a large Stingray,
Dasyatis
pastinaca, was caught by an angler Ken
Canning off the beach at Pagham
Harbour, Sussex, and released back alive. It weighed between 65 lb
and 72 lb; this should be a BR
(R-C) FC record.
“This
magnificent fish which was probably around 72 lb as that’s what
it weighed first time but it slipped of the sheet. When weighed second
time it was still touching the floor but we were concerned with the health
of the fish so settled on 65 lb 2 oz then returned it.”
British
Shore Caught Angling Records
FORUM
NEWS
Marine Wildlife
of the North-east Atlantic Ocean Mailing Groups
Marine
Wildlife of the North-east Atlantic Ocean
Yahoo
Group
New
Group: http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/Glaucus
With
the closure of Smart Groups at the end of November
2006 most of the 7500+ messages have been
filed at:
Marine
Wildlife of the North-east Atlantic Ocean Jiglu
http://www.Jiglu.com/spaces/glaucus/
Images
can be uploaded to flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/glaucus/
Wet
Thumb (Marine Aquariology) Forum Link
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All
reports by Andy Horton
unless the credits are given
to
other observers or reporters.
Cornish
Marine Wildlife (Ray Dennis Records) 2005
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