COUNTRY LIFE
Shanny by Sa m Balderson
St raw be rry an em on
inside, so they resemble what can only be
described as a ‘blob’ stuck to a rock. This
is a strategy to hold onto water within
their body, so they don’t dry out.
Starfish
We have some wonderful starfish in our
seas – the common sea star which is
usually a lovely orange colour and the
‘bloody henry’ sea star which is bright
red or purple. Not all sea stars stand out
though. Keep your eyes peeled for the
very tiny brittlestars that are often
found on the underside of
rocks in rockpools.
Starfish make an
excellent talking
point with
youngsters…
Did you know
a starfish can
regrow its
arms? And,
that they
don’t have a
brain? Many
starfish can
regurgitate
their stomach
to swallow
a large prey
item and then
suck their stomach
back inside. If they get
disturbed by a predator
during dinner, they can leave
their stomach behind and grow a new
one.
e by A m y Da le
Fish
Now you will you need to use your
best fish stalking skills for this final
rockpooling challenge, as the movement
of the water or a shadow can be all
it takes to send a fish dashing out of
sight. Check in nooks and crannies and
amongst the seaweed for shannies and sea
scorpions and look out for small gobies
darting across the seabed.
If you’ve never been rockpooling on the
Island before, a few recommended spots
are: Bembridge, Freshwater Bay (head
to the north side) and Fort Victoria.
Remember to check the tide times before
you go and please follow the seashore
code: handle all marine life carefully, put
rocks back as you found them and don’t
take anything home with you (except
litter!).
If you want to find out more about
rockpool life, why not:
• Get a copy of the Wildlife Trust’s
Shorelife of the Solent identification
guide (£11 from online shop at: www.
hiwwt.org.uk)
• Head to an event – the Wildlife Trust is
running Shoresearch surveys and family
rockpool events over the summer. For
further details, visit our website: www.
hiwwt.org.uk
• Get more information and children’s
activity ideas from our marine wildlife
website: www.makingwavesproje 7B