Scarborough Rockpooling

Common Starfish (Asterias rubens) are common at Holbeck, but we don't find them as often as we think we should. Even so, they are found under rocks on the mid shore, occasionally the lower shore. Typically, they are small, with diameters of 5-6cm, although larger 10cm+ examples have been found before.

Green Sea Urchins (Psammechinus miliaris) are becoming more common at Holbeck, and are often found on the lower mid shore. They are much smaller than their Edible counterparts, with test diameters usually no bigger than 4cm.

Edible Sea Urchins (Echinus esculentus) are rarely seen, mainly because they are usually found in deep waters. It is no coincidence that the two largest specimens have been found at very low tides. They can grow very large, sometimes up to 15cm across, but usually less than 10cm.

Brittlestars are common underneath rocks on the lower shore, and can also be seen in the holdfasts of kelp weeds. They usually grow to approximately 8cm in diameter, but frequently they are smaller (4-6cm). This particular brittlestar has been identified as Ophiothrix fragilis.

We have only just managed to identify this species of brittlestar (Amphipholis squamata). It was found at Scalby Mills in January 2008 and is smaller than Ophiothrix. It was about 2-3cm across, and was found underneath a rock at low tide.

ANY NEW SPECIES OF ECHINODERMS FOUND AT HOLBECK WILL BE POSTED IN HERE