Killer whale
Latin name: Orcinus orca
Global Distribution: Globally one of the most widespread cetaceans.
UK Distribution: Shetland, Orkney and west coast Scotland.
Size: Up to 9.8m long and 10 tonnes in …
Marine Species
There are many different marine habitats around the Isle of Arran which provides homes for many marine species.
Peacock worm
Latin name: Sabella pavonina
Global Distribution: Northwest Europe
UK Distribution: British coasts
Size: 30cm long, 4mm wide
Diet: Filter feeder of small floating food particles
Habitat: On stones in sandy …
Devonshire Cup Coral
Latin name: Caryophyllia smithii
Global Distribution: South-west Europe, the Mediterranean, and in Britain
UK Distribution: Shetland, north eastern England, the south west, Wales, Ireland and north western Scotland
Size: up …
Curled Octopus
Latin name: Eledone cirrhosa
Global Distribution: From Norway South to the Mediterranean.
UK Distribution: All British and Irish coasts
Size: Approximately 50cm
Diet: Crabs, other large crustaceans, fish
Habitat: Rocky …
Common sea urchin
Latin name: Echinus esculentus
Global Distribution: Abundant in the N.E. Atlantic from Iceland, north to Finmark, Norway and south to Portugal. Absent from the Mediterranean.
UK Distribution: Common on most …
Flame shells
The Flame shell is a particularly amazing species, building nests using byssus threads which knit the seabed together forming a reef sometimes many hectares in size. While the bright orange tentacle mollusc is on its own a very incredible wee creature, what it builds becomes home to 100's of other species.
