The shore fauna of Brighton, East Sussex (eastern English Channel): records 1981-1985 (updated classification and nomenclature) DAVID VENTHAM FLS [email protected] January 2021 Offshore view of Roedean School and the sampling area of the shore. Photo: Dr Gerald Legg Published by Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre, 2021 © David Ventham & SxBRC 2 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………..………………………..……7 METHODS………………………………………………………………………………………………………...7 BRIGHTON TIDAL DATA……………………………………………………………………………………….8 DESCRIPTIONS OF THE REGULAR MONITORING SITES………………………………………………….9 The Roedean site…………………………………………………………………………………………………...9 Physical description………………………………………………………………………………………….…...9 Zonation…………………………………………………………………………………………………….…...10 The Kemp Town site……………………………………………………………………………………………...11 Physical description……………………………………………………………………………………….…….11 Zonation…………………………………………………………………………………………………….…...12 SYSTEMATIC LIST……………………………………………………………………………………………..15 Phylum Porifera…………………………………………………………………………………………………..15 Class Calcarea…………………………………………………………………………………………………15 Subclass Calcaronea…………………………………………………………………………………..……...15 Class Demospongiae………………………………………………………………………………………….16 Subclass Heteroscleromorpha……………………………………………………………………………..…16 Phylum Cnidaria………………………………………………………………………………………………….18 Class Scyphozoa………………………………………………………………………………………………18 Class Hydrozoa………………………………………………………………………………………………..18 Class Anthozoa……………………………………………………………………………………………......25 Subclass Hexacorallia……………………………………………………………………………….………..25 Phylum Nemertea………………………………………………………………………………………………...27 Class Anopla…………………………………………………………………………………………………..27 Subclass Heteronemertea………………………………………………………………………….………….27 Class Enopla…………………………………………………………………………………………………..27 Subclass Hoplonemertea…………………………………………………………………………..…………27 Phylum Annelida…………………………………………………………………………………………………29 Class Polychaeta………………………………………………………………………………………………29 Subclass Errantia…………………………………………………………………………………..…………29 Subclass Sedentaria…………………………………………………………………………….….…………36 3 Infraclass Scolecida………………………………………………………………………………..…….….36 Infraclass Canalipalpata……………………………………………………………………………………..36 Phylum Arthropoda………………………………………………………………………………………………41 Subphylum Crustacea………………………………………………………………………………….………..41 Superclass Oligostraca………………………………………………………………………………...………..41 Class Ostracoda……………………………………………………………………………………………….41 Subclass Podocopa……………………………………………………………………………..…………….41 Superclass Multicrustacea…………………………………………………………………………...…………43 Class Hexanauplia…………………………………………………………………………………………….43 Subclass Copepoda……………………………………………………………………………….….……….43 Subclass Thecostraca………………………………………………………………………………..………..60 Infraclass Cirripedia………………………………………………………………………….……..……….60 Class Malacostraca……………………………………………………………………………………………61 Subclass Eumalacostraca………………………………………………………………………………..……61 Subphylum Chelicerata…………………………………………………………………………………………88 Class Arachnida……………………………………………………………………………………………….88 Order Araneae…………………………………………………………………………………….………..88 Subclass Acari……………………………………………………………………………………..…………88 Class Pycnogonida…………………………………………………………………………………………….94 Subphylum Hexapoda…………………………………………………………………………………………...98 Class Collembola………………………………………………………………………..………………….....98 Class Insecta……………………………………………………………………………………………….….98 Subclass Pterygota………………………………………………………………………………..…..….…...98 Phylum Mollusca………………………………………………………………………………………………..107 Class Polyplacophora………………………………………………………………………………………..107 Class Scaphopoda……………………………………………………………………………………………107 Class Gastropoda…………………………………………………………………………………………….107 Subclass Patellogastropoda…………………………………………………………………….…………...107 Subclass Vetigastropoda……………………………………………………………………….…………...108 Subclass Caenogastropoda……………………………………………………………………….…………109 Subclass Heterobranchia………………………………………………………………………….………...116 Infraclass Euthyneura…………………………………………………………………………...…………116 4 Class Bivalvia…………………………………………………………………..……………………………119 Subclass Autobranchia………………………………………………………….……………..……………119 Infraclass Pteriomorphia…………………………………………………….….……………..…………..119 Infraclass Heteroconchia……………………………………………………….……………...…………..121 Class Cephalopoda…………………………………………………………………………………………..123 Subclass Coleoidea……………………………………………………………………………..…………...123 Phylum Bryozoa………………………………………………………………………………………………...125 Class Stenolaemata…………………………………………………………………………………………..125 Class Gymnolaemata………………………………………………………………………………………...125 Phylum Echinodermata………………………………………………………………………………………….131 Class Asteroidea……………………………………………………………………………………………..131 Class Ophiuroidea……………………………………………………………………………………………131 Class Echinoidea……………………………………………………………………………………………..132 Phylum Chordata………………………………………………………………………………………………..133 Subphylum Tunicata……………………………………………………………………………….…………..133 Class Ascidiacea……………………………………………………………………………………………..133 Subphylum Vertebrata………………………………………………………………….……………………...136 Superclass Gnathostomata…………………………………………………………...………………………..136 Class Elasmobranchii………………………………………………………………………………………..136 Class Actinopterygii…………………………………………………………………………………………136 Infraclass Teleostei………………………………………………………………………………...………136 APPENDIX……………………………………………………………………………………………………..147 Kingdom Chromista…………………………………………………………………………………………….147 Phylum Foraminifera……………………………………………………………………………………………147 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………………………………………….150 REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………………………….151 INDEX to families and species………………………………………………………………………………….159 5 6 INTRODUCTION View south of wave-cut platform gullies These records are the results of a qualitative comprehensive shore fauna monitoring programme undertaken in the Brighton area, East Sussex, south-eastern England, principally during the period March 1981 – February 1985 (limited recording February 1981 and March 1985 – December 1986, a few chance observations subsequently). They were originally presented in the form of two reports (Ventham 1990, 1992), and the two have been combined herein with updated classification and nomenclature with reference to Hayward & Ryland (2017) and the World Register of Marine Species. Other publications/limited circulation reports relevant to the Gullies on an ebbing tide marine fauna of Brighton and its vicinity include: Merrifield (1860); Anon. (1960); Wood (1984, 1992); Wood & Jones (1986); Tittley et al. (1986); George & Fincham (1989); Light (1990); Jenkins (1991); Irving (1996, 1999); Barne et al. (1998). Also, records of Brighton marine fauna limited to one or a few species are to be found scattered through the literature e.g. Hincks (1868), Crisp & Southward (1958), Goodwin & Fish (1977), Green & Macquitty (1987). The Sussex Seasearch project, initiated 1992, publishes annual reports on sublittoral habitats and their communities while Sussex Shoresearch, started 2005, similarly undertakes annual surveys building a database on intertidal wildlife to help promote conservation. METHODS Two 400 m stretches of shore were selected for regular monitoring purposes, one at Roedean with its western boundary c. 580 m east of the marina, and the other at Kemp Town with its eastern boundary adjoining the marina west breakwater root (see map, p. 2). They were worked once a fortnight during periods of spring tides, mainly in the early morning, usually (weather/light permitting) for some 30-60 minutes either side of the time of LW, March 1981 – February 1985 at Roedean and May 1981 – February 1985 at Kemp Town (on the day following the Roedean visit). On each occasion, general observations were made on the macrobenthos across the shore and miscellaneous samples taken, usually 10-15 at Roedean and 7-10 at Kemp Town, which included a selection of habitat samples (e.g. Blidingia minima from the littoral fringe and/or upper eulittoral, and small tufted algae, hydroids, barnacles and a variety of other scrapings from the eulittoral and/or sublittoral fringe) for the extraction of associated meio- and macrofauna. The horizontal location for sampling was varied randomly within each 400 m each fortnight. Samples were always small and generally collected into 75 x 25 mm and 90 x 45 mm tubes, a rough guide to the average size of some of the habitat samples being as follows: Polysiphonia fucoides, 30-110 ml (lightly 7 compressed, damp); other small tufted algae e.g. Corallina officinalis, 30 ml (lightly compressed, damp); Blidingia minima mat, each sample a scraping from an area 5 x 2 cm; hydroids, 2.5-10 ml (lightly compressed, damp); barnacles, each sample containing 20-30 adults. The period over which monitoring extended varied according to taxon and is given where appropriate in the systematic list e.g. monitoring of hydroids and bryozoans extended over the entire period of the investigation, viz. March 1981 – February 1985, whilst harpacticoid copepod monitoring was restricted to the period February 1983 – February 1985 and fish were given special attention August 1982 – February 1985. A network of reference points of known estimated tide height in m ACD was established early on in the investigation (and checked intermittently throughout) by following a number of falling and rising tides across the shore with reference to tide height predictions in the Admiralty Tide Tables which enabled the majority of observations and samples to be assigned approximate tide heights to the nearest 0.1 m ACD. Special fortnightly visits coinciding approximately with neap tides and supplementing the regular spring tide programme were made to Roedean to record the insects (and other organisms) to