Shrimping at Winchelsea Beach
30th May 2009, Saturday
For the second day running, the weather was perfect for this low-tide event, which attracted more than 30 people. The water in Rye Bay is often cloudy with sand and silt washed from the nearby cliffs, so it’s difficult to see the creatures that live in the shallows. Last year, Rye Harbour Nature Reserve purchased shrimp-nets in a range of sizes so that the public could fish for shrimps, crabs and small fish. These were put to good use this morning to bring in a variety of marine wildlife, which was returned to the sea after a short inspection.
Banded wedge shell, Shrimps, Prawn (bottom centre) and Swimming Crab
We caught a lot of shrimps, a few prawns and some of the Weaver Fish which prey upon them and have to be treated with great caution on account of their poisonous spines.
But what is this? I can’t find anything that quite matches it in the Field Guide. It’s Idotea linearis (Barry).
We also brought up dozens of tiny flatfish, which appeared to be Plaice and a live, beautifully coloured Velvet Swimming Crab.
