Rare sea creature spotted in UK for first time

By Lauren Beavis

A “groundbreaking” sea slug discovery has been made – in a UK first.

The nudibranch Spurilla neapolitana, typically found in much warmer climates, has been discovered in Cornwall.

The colorful sea slug is a usual resident in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and along the western Atlantic.

Until now, its most northerly sighting was in Brest, France, in August 2025.

The team at Cornwall Wildl ife Trust has said its discovery in the UK indicates how increasingly warming seas “are influencing the distribution of marine animals”.

Ranging in color from pink to orange, this sea slug is known for the flattened, long, thick outgrowths on its body (which give rise to its French common name, limace à bigoudis, roughly translated as “hair curler slug”).

The rare discovery was