Clione limacina in Plymouth Waters

Abstract

The pteropod Clione limacina (Phipps), now regarded as one of the tectibranchs, occurs at times in the neighbourhood of Plymouth. In 1930, however, it was extraordinarily abundant, especially in the summer, and was breeding freely. Although not specially recorded it has been seen singly or in small numbers in almost any month of the year, and for some years the eggs and larvæ (not recognised at the time as belonging to Clione) have been seen in summer. So far it is known from the British coasts in the North Sea and the west and extreme south-west of England. Its distribution, as known up to 1908, is given fully for the area of International Fisheries Investigations by Paulsen (1910). There it is shown that it is an Arctic-boreal species, spreading southwards nearly to the Bay of Biscay, which is about its southerly limit. It is known to occur in the northern and mid North Sea, but not in the southern North Sea, and at that time was only recorded from the Channel in the extreme west. It is also common in the Atlantic. Paulsen was led to infer that Clione limacina did not enter the North Sea from the Channel, but its prevalence sometimes at Plymouth shows that it can come a long way up the Channel and, as few samples are taken to the east and in the southern North Sea, this view should be carefully reconsidered.