Lancing Beach to Worthing Pier

2008 - 2010

Lancing Beach
Ostensibly a sand and shingle beach, but the sea bed uncovered by the low spring tides in places has a hard bedrock and loose rocks. Surprisingly, some of the less common crabs have been discovered between the tides and two species of sea anemones reach their eastern limit up the English Channel at Lancing. One other small species of sea anemone Diadumene cincta is recorded here and only a few other places around Britain. Offshore it is a breeding area of the small orange fish known as Montagu's Sea Snail, Liparis montagui.
 

Worthing Pier
The rock and sand terrain beneath the amusement pier; at first glance, the shore appears exclusively sandy and in all respects one of the  least promising of rockpooling shores. Firm sand leads the explorer out to below mid-tide region where the sand gives away to a mixed ground with rocks buried in the sand, a few looser rocks (cobble-sized), and shallow sandy pools. Under the steel girders of the pier is the best area, with the supports providing attachment points of a sizeable mussel community.

Worthing Pier
Worthing Pier on flickr

2 June 2011
After the amount of weed washed up on the shore after the sustained period of over a week of Force 5 Breezes, it was not promising for shrimping off Lancing Beach by Widewater with the sand just showing on 1.5 metres low tide in the early evening.  My fears were well founded, there was too much weed to make shrimping practical, with under ten Brown Shrimps, Crangon crangon, in just over half an hour push-netting. One very young Greater Pipefish Syngnathus acus, fry that came with the weed and quickly wriggled to escape through the mesh of my smaller metre-wide shrimp net. It was the first capture, followed by two South-clawed Hermit Crabs, Diogenes pugilator, in Netted Dogwhelk shells, one small Arch-fronted Swimming Crab Liocarcinus arcuatus, just one small Solenette (Slipper Sole), Buglossidium luteum, and two small flatfish fry. To compound the poor day, I cycled to the beach on the loaded Trade's Bike against a south-westerly Force 3, and whilst I was shrimping the wind turned to the north-east and rose to Force 4 and I could see this on the sea as the white crests on the braking waves increased in frequency. I had to cycle back against the wind as well.

22 May 2011
A steady Force 6 westerly Strong Breeze (26 mph), gusting to Gale Force 7, was kite-surfing weather and because the low tide was 1.1 metres the most easterly exposed shore was south of Brooklands. The pools were rippled by the wind and there were few rocks to turn and an even poorer fauna: a few Snakelocks Anemones, Anemonia viridis, just three Hairy Crabs, Pilumnus hirtellus, a small stripy green Beadlet Anemone, Actinia equina, one dark Edible Crab, Cancer pagurus, a Shore Crab Carcinus meanas  and a small Squat Lobster, Galathea squamifera. The shore was strewn with small empty mussel shells.

19 May 2011
A large plain green specimen of the Beadlet Anemone, Actinia equina, collected on Worthing Beach on 18 April 2011 suddenly diminished in a manner seen before in the Actinia sea anemones. The green specimen with a basal diameter of approximately 60 mm and a larger tentacle span shrivelled up into a smaller version that looked as though it might be dying, and the tentacles became thinner than those of the Snakelocks Anemones, Anemonia viridis, and the oral disc disappeared from view covered by the partially retracted tentacles. On 20 May 2011, I noted that sea anemone had returned to its normal appearance. On 21 May 2011 I noticed that its column was covered in spots which were pronounced enough to be nearer in appearance to the designated species Actinia fragacea. Its spots were distinct light green but the background colour of the column became brown rather than red. It was slightly smaller with a basal diameter of about 50 mm. Intermediate forms or Actinia equina with green lines and spots are known to occur occasionally. This anemone has green tentacles whereas the usual "strawberry type" has crimson or red tentacles.

Actinia fragacea has strawberry-like (usually green on a red column) spots all over the column of the anemone. The similar species Actinia equina can have green stripes and dotted lines, so there can be confusion between the species as the dividing line is not clearly demarked by appearance.
BMLSS Sea Anemones

23 April 2011
There were almost ideal condition for shrimping of Lancing Beach (east Widewater) with a gentle almost imperceptible swell, almost negligible Light Breeze Force 5, (5 mph, NNE), pleasant weather with an air temperature of 18.9 °C on the 9.50 am low tide of 1.1 metres. Brown Shrimps, Crangon crangon, were common (200+ caught in 40 minutes), although some were too small for the pot. The water was clear and free of weed, but there was very little else around. I caught two young Plaice, Pleuronectes platessa, one of which escaped and a handful shot off at the approach of the smaller (one metre) semi-circular shrimp net, and the only other incidentals were three very small Common Hermit Crabs, Pagurus bernhardus, (i.e. not Diogenes) in Grey Topshells and Netted Dogwhelk shells. Advection fog set in over the sea as the tide turned and the visibility was diminished to under 50 metres.
Met Office: Shoreham

Both Grey Sea Slugs, Aeolidia papillosa, laid their white coils of spawn in two separate aquaria.

18 April 2011
The low tide around Worthing Pier was very rich in multi-coloured seaweeds especially the alien Sargasso Weed and pink clumps which I first thought were Corallina, but now I am not so sure. They  might be Jania rubens (to be confirmed) which is a coralline algae. I disturbed three Turnstones feeding at the water's edge at the end of the pier. They squawked and flew away.
 

However, the fauna was poor and there were not many rocks to turn over. Of most note were the frequent Snakelocks Anemones, Anemonia viridis, and two clumps of fish eggs* possibly of the Bullhead Taurulus bubalis. Two anemone-eating nudibranchs Grey Sea Slugs, Aeolidia papillosa, were discovered under rocks under the pier. Occasional  Squat Lobsters, Galathea squamifera, just three Hairy Crabs, Pilumnus hirtellus, frequent tiny Long-clawed Porcelain Crabs, Pisidia longirocornis, a handful of undersized Edible Crabs, Cancer pagurus, a few large green Shore Crabs Carcinus meanas and frequent Edible Prawns, Palaemon serratus, completed the crustacean list.
 

Grey Sea Slug attacking a  Beadlet Anemone	Daisy Anemone	Piddocks

Four of the largest Piddocks, Pholas dactylus, I have ever seen were underneath a rock that had already been broken in half. Two juvenile Long-spined Bullheads, Taurulus bubalis, and one first year Blenny, Lipophrys pholis, were netted. Beadlet Anemones were frequently seen, with a few sea anemones Sagartia troglodytes, and a few Daisy Anemones, Cereus pedunculatus.
(* The eggs hatched out in the home aquarium. They could very well be Blenny eggs.)

20 March 2011
In the early evening, I recorded by first wild fish of the year a 5-Bearded Rockling, Ciliata mustela, on the kelp-covered shore by Brooklands (west Lancing, west of the pipeline) plus my first crab, a very small Velvet Swimming Crab, Necora puber. The shore was very poorly inhabited with frequent Squat Lobsters, Galathea squamifera, occasional small Hairy Crabs, Pilumnus hirtellus, and  tiny Long-clawed Porcelain Crabs, Pisidia longirocornis, one very small Edible Crab, Cancer pagurus, one large green Shore Crab Carcinus meanas. Two Snakelocks Anemones, Anemonia viridis, had not quite completed their division into two, and there were occasional small sea anemones Sagartia troglodytes. As it was getting too dark to see clearly, a tiny thread-like juvenile Butterfish, Pholis gunnellus, eluded my cold fingers. An Edible Prawn, Palaemon serratus, jumped backwards from under a weed-covered rock.
 
 

October 2010 These two Sand Smelt, Atherina presbyter, were caught off Worthing Pier.  Report and Photograph by John Nalaskowski This fish is abundant in the shallow seas and estuaries of Sussex and can be seen in autumn trapped in the larger sandy pools underneath Worthing Pier at low tide.

25 May 2010
I made an unplanned visit to Worthing Pier as the tide was out. Under the many small rocks, there were two adult Blennies, Lipophrys pholis, and a few undersized Edible Crabs, Cancer pagurus. The most notable discovery on the underside of a rock was a tiny nudibranch sea slug Facelina auriculata. Its cerata and overall appearance were bright crimson.

21 May 2010
My first shrimping outing of the year using my smaller three foot wide shrimp net on the medium tide on Lancing Beach (Widewater West) yielded a rather poor 30 or so Brown Shrimps, Crangon crangon, but not enough exhibits for Adur World Oceans Day 2010: a left-eyed flatfish* that was too large for the aquarium, only a very small Solenette (Slipper Sole), Buglossidium luteum, two South-clawed Hermit Crabs, Diogenes pugilator, one very small Vernal Crabs, Liocarcinus vernalis, and an even smaller tiny swimming crab Portumnus latipes was the total catch in an hour on a tide that had not receded enough.
 

*The flatfish was identified as a Turbot, Psetta maxima, measuring 180 mm (excluding the caudal fin) long and 80 mm wide (excluding fins) and weighing about 125 grams.

29 May 2009
Shrimping was possible after some poor weather. And the conditions were ideal off Lancing Beach (near the Church of the Good Shepherd) but the haul of Brown Shrimps, Crangon crangon, amount to about thirty all after the tide turned and with the incoming tide. Luckily (because the expedition was to get exhibits for Adur World Oceans Day 2009) the haul with my smaller U-shaped net including two medium-sized Lesser Weevers, Echiichthys vipera, amongst the weed so I had to be careful of the venomous fins, two adult Solenettes (Slipper Soles), Buglossidium luteum, one intact Vernal Crab Liocarcinus vernalis, half a dozen flatfish (probably Plaice) fry, one small Plaice, two South-clawed Hermit Crabs, Diogenes pugilator, one swimming crab Portumnus latipes, and a very young Greater Pipefish Syngnathus acus. A Painted Lady Butterfly fluttered around my head.

24 May 2009
A rockpooling trip to the rocky shore by the Half Brick, east Worthing was a serious disappointment with hardly anything of interest. It took at least 30 minutes to find a Velvet Swimming Crab Necora puber, three Shore Crabs Carcinus maenas, a very small Common Squat Lobster, two Snakelocks Anemones Anemonia viridis, a large one-clawed Edible Crab Cancer pagurus, a Prawns Palaeamon serratus, one very small Common Hermit Crab, Pagurus bernhardus, a few Sagartia troglodytes sea anemones and two Daisy Anemones Cereus pedunculatus. It was ten minutes before I spotted a Chiton (a mollusc in the class Polyplacophora) probably Lepidochitona cinerea. There were a few elusive (evaded capture) adult Common Gobies, Pomatoschistus microps, in breeding livery with fry is the shallow sandy pools. In a deeper pool, a solitary Sand Smelt, Atherina presbyter, cruised by.

23 May 2009
Shoreham Beach (especially over the border in Lancing to the west of the Church of Good Shepherd) was covered in swathes of flowering Red Valerian and Sea Kale and Viper's Bugloss was in flower (first time noted this year although flowering must have occurred for at least a week) plus the first Slender Thistle in flower this year.
On Widewater a pair of Mute Swans had a handful (I did not count them) of cygnets.

The early evening shrimping expedition at Lancing was exceptionally poor registering just half a dozen Brown Shrimps, Crangon crangon, with most of them too small and one large one escaped through the net meshing. Incidental captures were exiguous: three very young Greater Pipefish Syngnathus acus, three* Solenettes (Slipper Soles), Buglossidium luteum,  two one-clawed Vernal Crabs Liocarcinus vernalis,  half a dozen flatfish (probably Plaice) fry, one South-clawed Hermit Crab, Diogenes pugilator,  and a Lesser Spotted Dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula purse with an embryo. There was a much darker brown different pipefish that escaped the net. This could have been either a juvenile Worm Pipefish Nerophis lumbriciformis, or even a juvenile Snake Pipefish Entelurus aequoreus. A clump of the black grape-like Cuttlefish eggs were discovered washed up on the strandline.
(*One was damaged and released and another one swam out of the net.)

3 June 2008
Cycling past Lancing Beach Green, I must have seen at least 70 Crows on the grass and beach huts and possibly more.
 

Plants in flower noted for the first time this year on Lancing Beach shingle and surrounds included Viper's Bugloss, Opium Poppy, Yellow-horned Poppy, Silver Ragwort and Slender Thistle. The seed heads of Goat's Beard were very noticeable on the borders of the shingle and cyclepath. And Tree Mallow by a gate marked Lancing Point to the west of Lancing Sailing Club. The sole butterfly seen on the day was a Large White in the same area as the Tree Mallow.

22 May 2008
 

Hoary Cress, Cardaria draba (white)* and Scarlet Pimpernel	Sea Kale	Red Valerian

7 May 2008
The shore with rocks uncovered on the low spring tide by the Half Brick, east Worthing, was ordinary with the usual fare of with common (100+) Snakelocks Anemones, Anemonia viridis, common and some large Daisy Anemones Cereus pedunculatus, frequent sea anemones Sagartia troglodytes, a few Edible Crabs  Cancer pagurus, frequent Hairy Crabs Pilumnus hirtellus, common Long-clawed Porcelain Crab Pisidia longicornis and a few small Shore Crabs Carcinus maenas and a few Prawns Palaeamon serratus, a few very small Common Hermit Crabs, Pagurus bernhardus  in Grey Topshells, and a few of the tiny shrimp Athanas nitescens in red livery. One healthy Butterfish, Pholis gunnellus, was discovered hiding under a rock. The only thing vaguely unusual was the first nudibranch sea slug, a small Acanthodoris pilosa in a fawn colour and larger than normal. I had not seen one for several years.
BMLSS Hermit Crabs
BMLSS Nudibranchs

5 May 2008
On Bank Holiday Monday, it felt warm for the first time this year as the temperature reached 20.0 °C at midday. The wind veered around to the south-east by the afternoon.
Shoreham Weather

My first shrimping expedition of the year at Lancing produced a moderate amount of Brown Shrimps, Crangon crangon, plus one Lesser Weever, Echiichthys vipera, one small Solenette (Slipper Sole), Buglossidium luteum, two Vernal Crabs, Liocarcinus vernalis, and two South-clawed Hermit Crabs, Diogenes pugilator, (in Netted Dogwhelk shells) amongst more weed than is usual at the beginning of May.
Sussex Marine Life

4 February 2008
 

After the recent storm there was a mass stranding on Lancing Beach east at low tide. I braved the chill westerly breeze and found the usual 'Mermaid's Purses' Dogfish Eggcases (including three with embryos seen inside), Ray Eggcases, orange and white sponges, Whelk shells and eggcases Buccinum, and also hundreds of dead sea anemones, including dead and alive Snakelocks Anemones, Anemonia viridis. and larger Dahlia Anemones, Urticina felina.

In the second photograph on Worthing Beach, the clear up of the wood continues.

21 January 2008

Timber on Worthing Beach
Photograph by Vivlonsdale
 

Timber from Greek-registered Ice Prince, which sank about 26 miles (42 km) off Dorset after a storm on 15 January 2008, began getting washed up on Lancing beach in the evening of 19 January 2008 and tonnes of pine planks littered the local beaches from 20 January 2008.

Adur Intertidal 2007

Marine Life of Sussex 2006
Link to Lancing Beach 2004 Reports
Half Brick Beach 2004
Link to Lancing Beach 2003

Lancing Beach (by Ray Hamblett)

Lancing Wildlife News
 
 

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