Nursehound eggcase

, 06 February 2024
Nursehound eggcase
Nursehound eggcase © Sophie Atkinson

By Sophie Atkinson

Wild Coast Sussex Project Officer

During a citizen science training event on Rottingdean Beach, Wild Coast Sussex Project Officer Sophie Atkinson discovered a rare find for Sussex beaches, a Nursehound eggcase. Nursehounds are the largest catshark species found in the UK, reaching up to 160cm, and their eggcases are significantly larger than those of the Small-spotted Catshark, the more common species we find in Sussex. None of the Wild Coast Sussex team have found a Nursehound eggcase before, so this was a special find, and a great opportunity for those attending the training event to learn about this species of shark.

Nursehound eggcase (top) compared to Small-spotted Catshark eggcase (bottom) © Sophie Atkinson
Nursehound eggcase (top) compared to Small-spotted Catshark eggcase (bottom) © Sophie Atkinson

Sophie recorded her finding with the Shark Trust via their app, and this data will now become part of The Great Eggcase Hunt, a UK-wide citizen science project that tracks the distribution of sharks in the UK. If you find shark, skate, or ray eggcases washed up on the beach, we encourage you to record them as well, and contribute to science and conservation.

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