Scotland’s biggest horse mussel bed and a ‘faceless and brainless’ fish-like creature were recorded during government-backed surveys in late 2011. The work covered almost 2,200 square miles, which is equivalent to an area one and a quarter times the size of the Cairngorms National Park. WWF Scotland said the results highlighted the need to better protect the marine environment.
Scottish Natural Heritage and Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University were among the organisations that carried out the work. Several rare species were recorded, and off the west coast, fan mussels were found growing up to 48cm long; the mussels are Scotland’s largest sea shell. Around the Small Isles, more than 100 specimens of marine life were noted. Off Tankerness on Orkney, the government said the prehistoric ‘faceless and brainless’ amphioxus was recorded. The Scottish government said that the rarely-seen species was regarded as a modern representative of the first animals that evolved a backbone. Other finds included flame shell beds in Loch Linnhe in Argyll, and new communities of northern feather star off the Sound of Canna.
Environment secretary Richard Lochhead described the finds as ‘weird and wonderful.’ He added: “The waters around Scotland are rich in such fascinating biodiversity, and it’s our responsibility to protect this fragile environment. That’s why we have ramped up our marine survey work, with plans being prepared for new surveys in 2012 to further our knowledge of what lies beneath Scotland’s seas.”
