Recording Marine Life

Latest Sightings

This is where MarLIN displays your records of seabed and seashore species from around Britain and Ireland. Click on the images below to see where a species has been recorded. Species are grouped by phylum.

Record your sightings of marine wildlife.

View a map of sightings.

Sealife Signpost directs you to other recording schemes.

Mollusca
Cnidaria
Ochrophyta
Bryozoa
Annelida
Chordata
Echinodermata
Arthropoda
Rhodophyta
Porifera
Chlorophyta
Ascomycota
Nemertina
Ctenophora
Platyhelminthes
Angiospermophyta

Mollusca

A bivalve mollusc (Abra alba)	A bivalve mollusc (Abra nitida)	A chiton (Acanthochitona crinita)	A bristled chiton (Acanthochitona fascicularis)	A sea slug (Acanthodoris pilosa)
A sea slug (Acteon tornatilis)	A sea slug (Adalaria proxima)	Grey sea slug (Aeolidia papillosa)	A sea slug (Aeolidiella alderi)	Queen scallop (Aequipecten opercularis)
Cuttlefish, nautilus, octopus & squid (Cephalopoda)	European common squid (Alloteuthis subulata)	Thin tellin (Angulus tenuis)	Saddle oyster (Anomia ephippium)	A sea hare (Aplysia punctata)
Common pelican's foot (Aporrhais pespelecani)	Sea lemon (Archidoris pseudoargus)	White piddock (Barnea candida)	Yellow-plumed sea slug (Berthella plumula)	Needle whelk (Bittium reticulatum)
Common whelk (Buccinum undatum)	A sea slug (Cadlina laevis)	Painted top shell (Calliostoma zizyphinum)	Chinaman's hat (Calyptraea chinensis)	Common cockle (Cerastoderma edule)
Lagoon cockle (Cerastoderma glaucum)	Striped venus clam (Chamelea gallina)	Humpback scallop (Chlamys distorta)	Variegated scallop (Chlamys varia)	A bivalve (Circomphalus casina)
Banded venus (Clausinella fasciata)	Basket shell (Corbula gibba)	A sea slug (Coryphella gracilis)	Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas)	Slipper limpet (Crepidula fornicata)
A sea slug (Cuthona foliata)	A sea slug (Dendronotus frondosus)	A sea slug (Diaphorodoris luteocincta)	A keyhole limpet (Diodora graeca)	Banded wedge shell (Donax vittatus)
Rayed Artemis (Dosinia exoleta)	Curled octopus (Eledone cirrhosa)	A sea slug (Elysia viridis)	Slit limpet (Emarginula fissura)	A sea slug (Embletonia pulchra)
Common wentletrap (Epitonium clathrus)	A sea slug (Eubranchus farrani)	Necklace shell (Euspira catena)	Bean-like tellin (Fabulina fabula)	A sea slug (Facelina auriculata)
A sea slug (Flabellina pellucida)	Grey top shell (Gibbula cineraria)	Flat top shell (Gibbula umbilicalis)	A sea slug (Goniodoris nodosa)	Blue-rayed limpet (Helcion pellucidum)
Netted dog whelk (Nassarius (Hinia) reticulata)	Laver spire shell (Hydrobia ulvae)	A sea slug (Janolus cristatus)	Violet snail (Janthina janthina)	A sea slug (Jorunna tomentosa)
Banded chink shell (Lacuna vincta)	Orange-clubbed sea slug (Limacia clavigera)	Common periwinkle (Littorina littorea)	Common flat periwinkle (Littorina obtusata)	Rough periwinkle (Littorina saxatilis)
Baltic tellin (Macoma balthica)	Pearly top shell (Margarites helicinus)	Small periwinkle (Melarhaphe neritoides)	Marbled crenella (Modiolarca tumida)	Sand gaper (Mya arenaria)
Blunt gaper (Mya truncata)	Common mussel (Mytilus edulis)	Red whelk (Neptunea antiqua)	Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus)	Oyster drill (Ocenebra erinacea)
Common octopus (Octopus vulgaris)	Yellow skirt slug (Okenia elegans)	Celtic sea slug (Onchidella celtica)	A sea slug (Onchidoris bilamellata)	A sea slug (Onchidoris muricata)
Thick top shell (Osilinus lineatus)	Native oyster (Ostrea edulis)	Lagoon snail (Paludinella littorina)	A cockle (Parvicardium ovale)	Black-footed limpet (Patella depressa)
China limpet (Patella ulyssiponensis)	Common limpet (Patella vulgata)	Great scallop (Pecten maximus)	American piddock (Petricola pholadiformis)	A razor shell (Phaxas pellucidus)
Lobe shell (Philine aperta)	Common piddock (Pholas dactylus)	A sea slug (Pleurobranchus membranaceus)	A sea slug (Polycera faeroensis)	A sea slug (Polycera quadrilineata)
A snail (Rissoa parva)	A sea slug (Rostanga rubra)	Peppery furrow shell (Scrobicularia plana)	Elegant cuttlefish (Sepia elegans)	Common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis)
Little cuttlefish (Sepiola atlantica)	Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum)	Common tortoiseshell limpet (Tectura testudinalis)	Oval venus (Timoclea ovata)	A sea slug (Trapania pallida)
A bivalve mollusc (Tridonta montagui)	Arctic cowrie (Trivia arctica)	Spotted cowrie (Trivia monacha)	Looping snail (Truncatella subcylindrica)	An auger shell (Turritella communis)
Velvet shell (Velutina velutina)	Pullet carpet shell (Venerupis senegalensis)	(Facelina bostoniensis)	(Hinia reticulata)

Cnidaria

Beadlet anemone (Actinia equina)	Strawberry anemone (Actinia fragacea)	Sandalled anemone (Actinothoe sphyrodeta)	Cloak anemone (Adamsia carciniopados)	Trumpet anemone (Aiptasia mutabilis)
Dead man's fingers (Alcyonium digitatum)	Red sea fingers (Alcyonium glomeratum)	Pink sea fingers (Alcyonium hibernicum)	Sea fan anemone (Amphianthus dohrni)	A sea anemone (Anemonactis mazeli)
Snakelocks anemone (Anemonia viridis)	Red speckled anemone (Anthopleura ballii)	Glaucus pimplet (Anthopleura thallia)	Gem anemone (Aulactinia verrucosa)	Moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita)
Parasitic anemone (Calliactis parasitica)	Devonshire cup coral (Caryophyllia smithii)	Daisy anemone (Cereus pedunculatus)	Compass jellyfish (Chrysaora hysoscella)	Club-headed hydroid (Clava multicornis)
Jewel anemone (Corynactis viridis)	Lion's mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata)	A sea anemone (Diadumene cincta)	A hydroid (Dynamena pumila)	A sea anemone (Epizoanthus couchii)
Pink sea fan (Eunicella verrucosa)	Herring-bone hydroid (Halecium halecinum)	Stalked jellyfish (Haliclystus auricula)	Weymouth carpet coral (Hoplangia durotrix)	A hydroid (Hydractinia echinata)
Sunset cup coral (Leptopsammia pruvoti)	A stalked jellyfish (Lucernariopsis campanulata)	A stalked jellyfish (Lucernariopsis cruxmelitensis)	Plumose anemone (Metridium senile)	Sea beard (Nemertesia antennina)
A hydroid (Nemertesia ramosa)	A hydroid (Obelia bidentata)	White cluster anemone (Parazoanthus anguicomus)	Yellow cluster anemone (Parazoanthus axinellae)	Mauve stinger (Pelagia noctiluca)
Olive green wart anemone (Phellia gausapata)	Portuguese man o' war (Physalia physalis)	Dustbin-lid jellyfish (Rhizostoma octopus)	A sea anemone (Sagartia elegans)	Northern sea fan (Swiftia pallida)
Oaten pipes hydroid (Tubularia indivisa)	Dahlia anemone (Urticina felina)	By-the-wind-sailor (Velella velella)	(Sertularia cupressina)

Ochrophyta

Dabberlocks (Alaria esculenta)	Knotted wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum)	A brown seaweed (Bifurcaria bifurcata)	A brown seaweed (Carpomitra costata)	Sea lace or Dead man's rope (Chorda filum)
Oyster thief (Colpomenia peregrina)	Rainbow wrack (Cystoseira tamariscifolia)	Horned wrack (Fucus ceranoides)	Toothed wrack (Fucus serratus)	Spiral wrack (Fucus spiralis)
Bladder wrack (Fucus vesiculosus)	Sea oak (Halidrys siliquosa)	Thongweed (Himanthalia elongata)	Oarweed (Laminaria digitata)	Tangle or cuvie (Laminaria hyperborea)
A kelp (Laminaria ochroleuca)	Peacocks tail (Padina pavonica)	Channelled wrack (Pelvetia canaliculata)	Furbelows (Saccorhiza polyschides)	Wireweed (Sargassum muticum)
Wakame (Undaria pinnatifida)

Bryozoa

Sea chervil (Alcyonidium diaphanum)	An erect bryozoan (Bugula flabellata)	A bryozoan (Bugula plumosa)	A sea mat (Electra crustulenta)	A sea mat (Electra pilosa)
Hornwrack (Flustra foliacea)	Sea mat (Membranipora membranacea)	Ross (Pentapora fascialis)	An encrusting bryozoan (Umbonula littoralis)

Annelida

Segmented worms e.g. ragworms, tubeworms & fanworms (Annelida)	Sea mouse (Aphrodita aculeata)	Blow lug (Arenicola marina)	Twin fan worm (Bispira volutacornis)	A bristleworm (Cirratulus cirratus)
Green-leaf worm (Eulalia viridis)	A fanworm (Ficopomatus enigmaticus)	A filigree worm (Filograna implexa)	A scale worm (Malmgreniella lunulata)	Ragworm (Hediste diversicolor)
A bristleworm (Janua pagenstecheri)	Sand mason (Lanice conchilega)	A fanworm (Megalomma vesiculosum)	A fanworm (Myxicola infundibulum)	White catworm (Nephtys cirrosa)
A tubeworm (Pomatoceros triqueter)	Peacock worm (Sabella pavonina)	Honeycomb worm (Sabellaria alveolata)	Coral worm (Salmacina dysteri)	A tubeworm (Serpula vermicularis)
A tubeworm (Spirorbis (Spirorbis) spirorbis)	(Spirorbis spirorbis)

Chordata

Allis shad (Alosa alosa)	Twaite shad (Alosa fallax)	Lesser sand eel (Ammodytes tobianus)	Common eel (Anguilla anguilla)	A sea squirt (Ascidia mentula)
A sea squirt (Ascidiella aspersa)	A sea squirt (Ascidiella scabra)	Seals, walrus, dolphin and whales (Mammalia)	Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)	Trigger fish (Balistes capriscus)
Garfish (Belone belone)	A colonial sea squirt (Botrylloides leachi)	A colonial sea squirt (Botrylloides violaceus)	Star ascidian (Botryllus schlosseri)	Common dragonet (Callionymus lyra)
Boar fish (Capros aper)	Rock cook (Centrolabrus exoletus)	Red bandfish (Cepola rubescens)	Basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus)	Grey thick-lipped mullet (Chelon labrosus)
Five-bearded rockling (Ciliata mustela)	A sea squirt (Ciona intestinalis)	Light bulb sea squirt (Clavelina lepadiformis)	Conger eel (Conger conger)	Montagu's blenny (Coryphoblennius galerita)
Corkwing wrasse (Crenilabrus melops)	Goldsinny (Ctenolabrus rupestris)	Lumpsucker (Cyclopterus lumpus)	Short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis)	Baked bean ascidian (Dendrodoa grossularia)
Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)	Football sea squirt (Diazona violacea)	Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)	Two-spotted clingfish (Diplecogaster bimaculata)	A sea squirt (Diplosoma listerianum)
Common Skate (Dipturus batis)	Lesser gooseberry sea squirt (Distomus variolosus)	Lesser weever fish (Echiichthys vipera)	Grey gurnard (Eutrigla gurnardus)	Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)
Shore rockling (Gaidropsarus mediterraneus)	Giant goby (Gobius cobitis)	Black goby (Gobius niger)	Rock goby (Gobius paganellus)	Two spotted goby (Gobiusculus flavescens)
Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus)	Long snouted seahorse (Hippocampus guttulatus)	Short snouted seahorse (Hippocampus hippocampus)	Greater sand eel (Hyperoplus lanceolatus)	Ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta)
Cuckoo wrasse (Labrus mixtus)	Porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus)	European river lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis)	Connemara clingfish (Lepadogaster candollei)	Shore clingfish (Lepadogaster lepadogaster)
Dab (Limanda limanda)	Sea snail (Liparis liparis)	Shanny (Lipophrys pholis)	Sunfish (Mola mola)	Sea grapes (Molgula manhattensis)
Ling (Molva molva)	A colonial sea squirt (Morchellium argus)	Hagfish (Myxine glutinosa)	Worm pipefish (Nerophis lumbriciformis)	Straight-nosed pipefish (Nerophis ophidion)
European smelt (Osmerus eperlanus)	Tompot blenny (Parablennius gattorugine)	A sea squirt (Perophora japonica)	Common or Harbour seal (Phoca vitulina)	Harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)
Butterfish (Pholis gunnellus)	Norwegian topknot (Phrynorhombus norvegicus)	Flounder (Platichthys flesus)	Plaice (Pleuronectes platessa)	Pollack (Pollachius pollachius)
Common goby (Pomatoschistus microps)	Sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus)	Painted goby (Pomatoschistus pictus)	Blue shark (Prionace glauca)	Turbot (Psetta maxima)
Thornback ray (Raja clavata)	Undulate ray (Raja undulata)	Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)	Black scorpionfish (Scorpaena porcus)	Small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula)
Nurse hound (Scyliorhinus stellaris)	Sole (Solea solea)	Fifteen-spined stickleback (Spinachia spinachia)	Black sea bream (Spondyliosoma cantharus)	Sprat (Sprattus sprattus)
Orange sea grapes (Stolonica socialis)	A sea squirt (Styela clava)	Great pipefish (Syngnathus acus)	Long-spined sea scorpion (Taurulus bubalis)	Leopard-spotted goby (Thorogobius ephippiatus)
Horse mackerel (or scad) (Trachurus trachurus)	Black faced blenny (Tripterygion delaisi)	Bib or Pouting (Trisopterus luscus)	Poor cod (Trisopterus minutus)	Bottle-nosed dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
Topknot (Zeugopterus punctatus)	John dory (Zeus faber)	Cuckoo Ray (Raja naevus)

Echinodermata

Small brittle star (Amphipholis squamata)	Rosy feather-star (Antedon bifida)	Brown sea cucumber (Aslia lefevrei)	Common starfish (Asterias rubens)	A cushion star (Asterina gibbosa)
A sand star (Astropecten irregularis)	Common sun star (Crossaster papposus)	Sea potato (Echinocardium cordatum)	Edible sea urchin (Echinus esculentus)	Bloody Henry starfish (Henricia oculata)
A cushion star (Hippasteria phrygiana)	Seven-armed starfish (Luidia ciliaris)	Spiny starfish (Marthasterias glacialis)	Common brittlestar (Ophiothrix fragilis)	A brittlestar (Ophiura ophiura)
Purple sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus)	Sea gherkin (Pawsonia saxicola)	Green sea urchin (Psammechinus miliaris)

Arthropoda

A hermit crab (Anapagurus hyndmanni)	A springtail (Anurida maritima)	Circular crab (Atelecyclus rotundatus)	Hooded shrimp (Athanas nitescens)	An acorn barnacle (Balanus crenatus)
An acorn barnacle (Balanus perforatus)	Edible crab (Cancer pagurus)	Japanese skeleton shrimp (Caprella mutica)	Common shore crab (Carcinus maenas)	Montagu's stellate barnacle (Chthamalus montagui)
Poli's stellate barnacle (Chthamalus stellatus)	Masked crab (Corystes cassivelaunus)	Brown shrimp (Crangon crangon)	A hermit crab (Diogenes pugilator)	Buoy barnacle (Dosima fascicularis)
Sponge crab (Dromia personata)	An acorn barnacle (Elminius modestus)	Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis)	Speckled sea louse (Eurydice pulchra)	A squat lobster (Galathea squamifera)
Angular crab (Goneplax rhomboides)	Chameleon prawn (Hippolyte varians)	Common lobster (Homarus gammarus)	Toad crab (Hyas coarctatus)	An isopod (Idotea balthica)
An isopod (Idotea emarginata)	An isopod (Idotea granulosa)	Scorpion spider crab (Inachus dorsettensis)	An amphipod (Jassa falcata)	Common goose barnacle (Lepas anatifera)
Arch-fronted swimming crab (Liocarcinus arcuatus)	Harbour crab (Liocarcinus depurator)	Flying crab (Liocarcinus holsatus)	Marbled swimming crab (Liocarcinus marmoreus)	Spider crab (Macropodia deflexa)
Slender spider crab (Macropodia tenuirostris)	Common spider crab (Maja squinado)	Velvet swimming crab (Necora puber)	A pseudoscorpion (Neobisium maritimum)	A sea spider (Nymphon gracile)
A marbled rock crab (Pachygrapsus marmoratus)	Hermit crab (Pagurus bernhardus)	Hairy hermit crab (Pagurus cuanensis)	Hermit crab (Pagurus prideaux)	A prawn (Palaemon elegans)
Common prawn (Palaemon serratus)	European spiny lobster (Palinurus elephas)	Sea bristletail (Petrobius maritimus)	Bristly crab (Pilumnus hirtellus)	Long clawed porcelain crab (Pisidia longicornis)
Broad-clawed porcelain crab (Porcellana platycheles)	A mantis shrimp (Rissoides desmaresti)	An acorn barnacle (Semibalanus balanoides)	A coastal centipede (Strigamia maritima)	A sand hopper (Talitrus saltator)
Montagu's crab (Xantho incisus)	Risso's crab (Xantho pilipes)	(Hyperia galba)	A sea slater (Lekanesphaera rugicauda)	(Balanus balanus)
(Verruca stroemia)

Rhodophyta

Harpoon weed (Asparagopsis armata)	Eyelash weed (Calliblepharis ciliata)	Lance-shaped eyelash weed (Calliblepharis jubata)	Carrageen (Chondrus crispus)	Coral weed (Corallina officinalis)
Sea beech (Delesseria sanguinea)	Red rags (Dilsea carnosa)	A red seaweed (Furcellaria lumbricalis)	An encrusting coralline alga (Lithophyllum incrustans)	A red seaweed (Lomentaria articulata)
False Irish moss (Mastocarpus stellatus)	A red seaweed (Odonthalia dentata)	Pepper dulse (Osmundea pinnatifida)	Dulse (Palmaria palmata)	A red seaweed (Phycodrys rubens)
Maerl (Phymatolithon calcareum)	A red seaweed (Plocamium cartilagineum)	A red seaweed (Plumaria plumosa)	A red seaweed (Polysiphonia lanosa)	Purple laver (Porphyra umbilicalis)

Porifera

A branching sponge (Axinella dissimilis)	A sponge (Ciocalypta penicillus)	A sponge (Cliona celata)	A sponge (Dysidea fragilis)	Breadcrumb sponge (Halichondria (Halichondria) panicea)
Mermaid's Glove (Haliclona (Haliclona) oculata)	An encrusting sponge (Hemimycale columella)	A sponge (Hymeniacidon perleve)	A sponge (Leucosolenia botryoides)	A sponge (Polymastia boletiformis)
A sponge (Suberites carnosus)	A sponge (Suberites ficus)	A sponge (Sycon ciliatum)	Golf ball sponge (Tethya aurantium)	(Halichondria panicea)

Chlorophyta

A green seaweed (Bryopsis plumosa)	Spaghetti algae (Chaetomorpha linum)	A green seaweed (Cladophora rupestris)	Velvet horn (Codium tomentosum)	Gut weed (Ulva intestinalis)
Sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca)	(Enteromorpha intestinalis)