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Place name : West of Ruecallan, Rathlin Island. County : Antrim

Date : 2025-05-19 GPS : 55.30637,-6.27341. Depth : -5.0 to -34.0 m. [ View map ]

Site Description : Starting on an exposed lower infralittoral bedrock shelf with mixed red algae, then moving on to a tide-swept circalittoral vertical wall with fragile sponge and anthozoan communities and ending in a kelp forest with some guillemots.

Sea beech, Delesseria sanguinea, [00:00:53]; Yellow and white soft corals, Alcyonium digitatum, [00:01:52]; Yellow cluster anemone, Parazoanthus axinellae, [00:03:26]; Yellow sponge, Myxilla incrustans, [00:04:08]; Yellow sponge, Polymastia boletiformis, and yellow cluster anemones, Parazoanthus axinellae, [00:04:31] Chocolate finger sponge, Raspailia ramosa, & crumpled duster sponge 'Axinella' damicornis, [00:04:52]; Volcano sponge, Haliclona viscosa, [00:04:59]; Elephant hide sponge, Pachymatisma johnstonia, [00:06:21]; White cluster anemones, Parazoanthus anguicomus, on yellow sponge, Desmacella cf. annexa, [00:06:48]; Brown crab, Cancer pagurus, [00:07:13]; Bright yellow sponge, Spongosorites calcicola, [00:08:01]; Orange sponge, Eurypon sp. [00:10:36]; Kelp forest. Laminaria hyperborea, [00:11:27] Guillemots, Uria aalge, [00:11:46]

Biotope 1 : Horizontal shelf or plateau with a few small kelp but mostly red algae (Foliose red seaweeds on exposed lower infralittoral rock).

PORIFERA
Pachymatisma johnstonia O
Axinella infundibuliformis O
Stelligera stuposa O
Polymastia boletiformis F
Tethya citrina R
Cliona celata O
Haliclona urceolus R
CNIDARIA
Tubularia indivisa R
Sertularia argentea O
Kirchenpaueria pinnata P
Nemertesia antennina O
Obelia geniculata O
Alcyonium digitatum O
Actinothoe sphyrodeta O
Caryophyllia smithii O
TUNICATA
Clavelina lepadiformis R
Aplidium punctum R
RHODOPHYTA
Heterosiphonia plumosa C
Delesseria sanguinea A
CHROMOPHYTA
Laminaria hyperborea R

Biotope 2 : Vertical bedrock wall (Sponges and anemones on vertical circalittoral bedrock).

PORIFERA
Spongionella pulchella R
Dysidea fragilis O
Pachymatisma johnstonia C
Dercitus bucklandi O
Axinella damicornis R
Axinella infundibuliformis C
Eurypon sp. O
Raspailia hispida O
Raspailia ramosa O
Stelligera montagui R
Stelligera stuposa O
Polymastia boletiformis C
Polymastia penicillus O
Tethya citrina O
Iophon hyndmani O
Iophonopsis nigricans O
Iophonopsis nigricans C
Lissodendoryx jenjonesae R
Hemimycale columella O
Hymedesmia sp. F
Hymedesmia paupertas F
Phorbas fictitius O
Myxilla fimbriata C
Myxilla incrustans F
Desmacella cf. annexa F
Spongosorites calcicola R
Haliclona urceolus O
Haliclona viscosa C
CNIDARIA
Tubularia indivisa A
Ectopleura larynx C
Nemertesia antennina C
Alcyonium digitatum A
Epizoanthus couchii F
Parazoanthus anguicomus O
Parazoanthus axinellae C
Metridium senile R
Cylista elegans C
Actinothoe sphyrodeta C
Corynactis viridis R
Caryophyllia smithii A
ANNELIDA
Filograna implexa R
CRUSTACEA
Cancer pagurus R
Necora puber R
MOLLUSCA
Polycera faeroensis R
Cadlina laevis R
BRYOZOA
Crisia eburnea A
Plagioecia patina O
Cellaria sp. C
ECHINODERMATA
Porania pulvillus R
Henricia oculata O
Marthasterias glacialis R
TUNICATA
Aplidium nordmanni O
Aplidium punctum F
Polycarpa pomaria R
PISCES
Ctenolabrus rupestris R
Labrus bergylta R
Labrus mixtus R
Thorogobius ephippiatus R
RHODOPHYTA
Delesseria sanguinea R

Biotope 3 : Kelp forest (Laminaria hyperborea with dense foliose red seaweeds on exposed infralittoral rock).

CTENOPHORA
Pleurobrachia pileus P
ECHINODERMATA
Echinus esculentus R
RHODOPHYTA
Phycodrys rubens A
CHROMOPHYTA
Laminaria hyperborea A

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