Nudibranch sp indet poss Lomanotus sp on Cellaria sp Lundy Maggs Ashton
The same specimen, in close-up. ©Maggs AshtonThe second sighting was by Maggs Ashton, a long-time member of the Ilfracombe Club, on 13th August. Maggs explained: “Tiny but missable, the vibrant colours of this beautiful nudibranch stood out against the red weed. The individual was 15mm long and found at a depth of 20 metres.” It was not a species she was familiar with, so she sent her photographs of it to Dr Keith Hiscock, an Associate Fellow at the Marine Biological Association in Plymouth to see if he might know what it was. It was also one which Keith was unfamiliar with, so he forwarded the photos on to Bernard Picton. Bernard too was flummoxed, with a closest possibility being an unknown species of Lomanotus. Maggs’s discovery was even taken up by the BBC and featured on the homepage of their website for a couple of days.
It may be a few months (if not years) before this mystery slug is identified. Well spotted, Maggs!







