A 'beautiful' rainbow sea slug was found in a rock pool in Devon, near Plymouth, by a 15-year-old nature enthusiast and her father. The species, usually found in the Mediterranean Sea and around the coasts of France, Portugal, and Spain, is a rare sighting in the UK. This discovery is believed to be the first time the animal has been recorded in Devon, with only a handful of similar finds across the UK, concentrated in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly ¹. The rainbow sea slug is part of a group of marine animals known as nudibranchs, recognized for their soft bodies and similarity to land slugs and snails ¹.
The 3cm long creature was discovered close to Wembury, near Plymouth, and has been described as "amazing" and "an incredible wildlife find" by marine biologists. The discovery of the rainbow sea slug in Devon is a strong indicator that UK seas are warming due to climate change.