Chelonaplysilla noevus (Carter, 1876)

Description: Chelonaplysilla noevus (Carter, 1876) is a dark purple encrusting species with a very characteristic surface reticulation of sand grains visible to the naked eye or with a low magnification. There are coarse sharp conules, similar to those of Aplysilla .

Habitat: On steep or overhanging bedrock faces on the open sea coast, occurring at depths of 15-115 m.

Ecology: In the Mediterranean, violet-black larvae, with a posterior crown of long flagellae, were reported from a specimen collected on October 7.

Distribution: A southern species reaching its northern limits on the coast of Northern Ireland at Rathlin Island.

Similar Species: none.

Key Identification Features:

• Purple colour
• Regular network-like surface reticulation

Distribution Map from BioMar data for Ireland - Google Earth map:  download this placemark (not got Google Earth installed?)

Distribution Map from NBN: JNCC MNCR data - Grid map National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.