The colorful sea slug, Babakina anadoni, is just 2cm long and has been confirmed as a first sighting by Cornwall Wildlife Trust and the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust. It was spotted in the Isles of Scilly by Allen Murray, a volunteer diver who takes part in the Wildlife Trusts Seasearch initiative, where citizen scientists are asked to dive and record wildlife around the coast. The snail is usually found in warmer climates. It is very rare and has only been recorded a few times along the west coast of Spain and further south in the Atlantic. Matt Slater, marine conservation officer at Cornwall Wildlife Trust and Seasearch coordinator for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: “What an incredible find! We were extremely excited to hear about the sighting of this colorful nudibranch – a species we believe has never been recorded in the UK before. “It’s one of the prettiest sea slugs I’ve seen, and considering it’s less than half the size of your little finger, it’s amazing Allen spotted it at all! There is still so much out there that we don’t know about our marine environment. Records like this from our Seasearch divers are vital to helping us better understand and protect our seas.” Seaslugs, technically called nudibranchs, are similar to their land-based cousins, but are much more colorful and interestingly shaped. They feed on algae, anemones and other sea slugs. Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST Lucy McRobert, communications manager at the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, added: “We never cease to be amazed at the wildlife that appears in Scillonian waters. From rare and beautiful nudibranchs to violet sea snails to large whales like humpbacks and fins, every time we dive below the surface we learn and see something new!”
