The Cushion star (Asterina gibbosa) is a little, well camouflaged starfish that is commonly found in rockpools on many of the UK coasts.
The beadlet anemone (Actinia equina) is small red anemone that looks like red circular blobs on rockpools and is found on most UK rocky shores. They only reveal their short tentacles when underwater and use the base of their body as a strong sucker to keep them attached to the shore.
The rock pool shrimp (Palaemon elegans) is very common in our rockpools and is often confused with other shrimp species like the common prawn (P. serratus). P. elegans has a transparent body with dark brown stripes along its carapace and six abdominal segments with yellow and blue banded legs. They can be differentiated from other shrimp species by their rostrum (a long appendage that looks like the shrimp’s nose and has several serrations). P. elegans has a much straighter rostrum than P. serratus with 8-9 serrations, 2-3 are behind their eyes. These shrimp can get to 63mm in length but are usually found much smaller than that; around 30mm.
The Painted topshell (Calliostoma zizyphinum) is a beautiful mollusc that can be found on many sheltered rocky shores in the UK. This mollusc has a distinctive conical shell and a flat base which can reach sizes of up to 3cm, both in height and width! This shell is covered in roughly 10-12 whorls usually with a white base colour that is marbled with yellows, browns, pinks and purples. If you’re really lucky, you might be able to see the snail itself, which is just as colourful. You’ll notice that these shells are very clean, this is because the snail uses its extendable foot to remove any algae – around 2 times every 24 hours.
The edible crab (Cancer pagurus), also known as the pasty crab to those of us in Cornwall or the brown crab is a common crab found under rocks along our coasts. They get their name from their reddy-brown colour and a large oval-shaped carapace that is crimped around the edges to resemble a pie crust.
Wrack are a family of common seaweeds found on many UK coasts. The name ‘seaweed’ is rather deceiving as the wracks are actually a type of algae. There are three main types of seaweed; red (Rhodophyta), brown (Phaeophyta) and green (Chlorophyta), wracks are brown seaweed and are branched and have ribbon-like fronds
Gyllyngvase beach, commonly known as Gylly beach is one of the most popular and largest beaches in Falmouth, and is a perfect spot for families. It is a 10/15 minute walk from Falmouth Town Centre and is one of the seven beaches in Cornwall that has received a Blue Flag Award in 2019, recognising its clean, well-managed beaches and high water quality.
There are many different types of beautiful fish that can be found in UK rock pools. This guide goes through some of the most common species you might find.
