Volunteer marine research diver Allen Murray found a multi-coloured sea slug, Babakina anadoni, off the coast of the Isles of Scilly in the UK, which until then had only been recorded off the west coast of Spain and in the Southern Atlantic.
This creature, which is only two centimeters long, belongs to the Nudibranchs family, and dazzles everyone with its bright colors and eye-catching shapes.
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The species was found on an uninhabited rocky part of the Isles of Scilly. Matt Slater, Marine Conservation Officer at Cornwall Wildlife Trust and coordinator of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly marine research programme, was excited to discover this species living so close to the UK. “Records like this from our Seasearch divers are vital to helping us better understand and protect our seas,” he stressed.
These soft-bodied animals are very similar to their land-dwelling relatives, the garden slugs. They feed on seaweed, anemones, and other marine mollusks.
“We never cease to be amazed by the wildlife that appears in Scillonian waters,” said Lucy McRobert, Communications Manager at Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust. “From rare and beautiful nudibranchs to purple sea snails to large whales such as humpbacks and baleen whales, every time we dive below the surface we learn and see something new!”
Strange sea slug in Brazil
Marine mollusks, such as Babakina anadoni, have already appeared on the Brazilian coast. In September 2021, Welcomehar Digital highlighted the appearance of the “blue dragon,” a nickname given to a species in the family. blue sea dragonon Bertioga beach, in Santos, south coast of São Paulo. The animal was stranded on the beach and attracted the attention of swimmers.
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