Category Seashores

 

 

When the tide goes out, some water is left behind in hollows in the rocks. Many different seaweeds and animals live in these rock pools. They can stay safely underwater in the rock pool until the sea comes in again.

 

 

 

 

 

Starfish live in rock pools.

 

The underside of a starfish is covered with lots of tiny tube feet. It uses the feet to move and to grip on to rocks. Starfish feed on shellfish and use their arms to force open the shells to reach the soft animal inside. If a starfish loses any of its arms, it can grow new ones.

 

 

 

 

 

Sea anemones are animals.

Sea anemones look like flowers, but they are animals. They catch food with their tentacles. When a sea anemone is out of the water, it pulls in its tentacles to stop itself from drying out. It looks like a blob of jelly!

 

 

 

 

 

This is a rock pool food chain.

A food chain shows the link between plants and animals in a habitat. All food chains start with plants, which are eaten by plant-eating animals. Plant-eaters are eaten by flesh-eating animals. In a rock pool, seaweeds are food for animals like limpets. Limpets are eaten by whelks.

 

 

 

Many seashore animals bury themselves in the sand, mud or rock. They dig themselves in to try to keep themselves safe from being eaten. Some animals hide in the sand when the tide is out. This stops the animal from drying out in the wind or Sun.

 

 

 

 

 

These are lugworm casts on a sandy beach.

Lugworms live in U-shaped burrows on sandy or muddy seashores. They swallow mud and eat any pieces of food they find in it. The sand comes out of the worms’ bottom at the other end of the burrow, and makes a squiggly worm cast on the surface of the mud.

 

 

 

This dog whelk hides in cracks in rocks.

Some shellfish protect themselves by digging into rock or squeezing into gaps between rocks. Dog whelks hide under rocks, crawl into cracks and wedge themselves into crevices on rocky seashores when the tide goes out. When the tide comes back in the dog whelks come out to feed.

 

 

 

 

Cockles bury themselves in the sand.

Cockles use their muscular foot to bury themselves in the sand. This helps to protect them from being eaten by birds and animals. Cockles and razorshells feed using long siphons that suck water and strain food from it.

 

 

Seashore birds feed on different foods. They hunt for food on the land and in the sea. Some birds dig in the sand to find worms and shellfish. Fish-eating birds dive into the sea to catch their food.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seashore birds build their nests on steep cliffs.

Seashore birds often nest together in huge, noisy colonies. They make their nests on high, rocky cliffs because it is very difficult for predators to reach them there. Some seabirds make nests, but others just lay their eggs on a rocky ledge.

 

 

Continue reading “Seashore birds”

 

 

 

At low tide, seashore fish hide. They squeeze into cracks in rock pools or hide under the sand. When the tide comes in, they come out to feed. Seashore fish have eyes near the top of their head. They look out for seabirds that try to catch them from above.

 

 

 

 

 

This fish lives in rock pools.

Goby fish live in rock pools. Their skin is patterned to help them hide against the rocks and seaweed. Some goby fish have their lower fins joined together to make a sucker. They use the sucker to cling on to rocks and stop them from being swept away by waves.

 

 

 

 

These pipefish are hard to see.

Pipefish can hide themselves so well that they are very hard to see. They have a long, thin body that helps to disguise them when they hide in seaweed. They live in rock pools and feed on other small fish and shellfish.

 

 

 

 

This fish can breathe air.

Mudskipper fish live on warm, muddy seashores. Most fish can only breathe in water. Mudskipper fish can breathe in air and water. They use their front fins as legs and crawl about on mud to look for food.

 

 

Some of the animals that we see on seashore do not live there all the time. They spend most of their life in the sea, and only visit the seashore for a short time. They may visit the shore to rest or to have babies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

These seals have come to the shore to rest.

Seals spend most of their time in the sea, but they sometimes visit the seashore. Seals are excellent swimmers but move very slowly on land. They haul themselves up on to rocks or sand banks to rest and bask in the Sun. Seals give birth to their pups on quiet seashores where they will not be disturbed.

 

 

 

 

 

Puffins visit the seashore to nest.

Puffins visit the seashore each year to breed. They nest on the top of cliffs. They dig burrows or take over an old rabbit tunnel. Puffins usually have only one chick. They feed their chicks on sand eels and fish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turtles visit the shore to lay their eggs.

Female turtles come ashore at night to lay their eggs above the high tide line. They dig a hole in the sand, lay their eggs in it and cover the eggs with sand. When the babies hatch, they dig themselves out and crawl down to the sea.