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Safeguarding Our Heritage  The Fair Isle marine resource: A community proposal for its sustainable management Appendix 5. Marine and coastal species of local, regional, national or international importance Species which have northern distributions and are recorded only infrequently around mainland Britain: SEAWEEDS Fucus distichus (Tail of Uran, North Gavel) Spiral or Flat Wrack Fucus spiralis f. nana (Tail of Uran, North Gavel) Bladder Wrack Fucus vesiculosus f. linearis (South Haven, W. North Haven) CRUSTACEA Lithodes maia (Stacks of Wirvie, West Foglistack, West of the Skerry, Wick of Furse) OSTEICHTHYES (bony fish) Wolf fish Anarhichas lupus (widespread, frequently encountered by islanders) b) Northern species which are scarce but shared with the west coast of Scotland or the North Sea: SEAWEEDS Lithothamnion glaciale (Entrance to South Haven) Ptilota plumosa (South Haven, Sheep Rock, Entrance to South Haven) Odonthalia dentata (W. of Kista Stack, Ravin Roo, The Heelors) CNIDARIA Bottlebrush Hydroid Thuiaria thuja (W. Foglistack) ECHINODERMATA Ophiura affinis (a brittlestar) (Sheep Rock, North Whaleback) Leptasterias muelleri (W. Foglistack, W. of the Skerry, Cubbi Stack, Sheep Rock, Wick of Furse) Red Cushion Star Porania pulvillus (W. of Kista Stack, Sheep Rock, Ravin Roo, North Whaleback) Purple Sun Star Solaster endeca (W. Foglistack) Several algae which have southern distributions and are new records for Shetland:
SEAWEEDS Stilophora rhizoides (South Haven; only recorded site) Compsothamnion thuyoides (Stacks of Wirvie)
SEAWEEDS Antithamnionella spirographidis (Ravin Roo, Swartz Geo, Entrance to South Haven; only occurred in these survey sites) Rhodophyllis sp. ‘big’ (Stacks of Wirrvie; awaits full identification, may be new species) Animals with southern distributions not previously known from Shetland: ANEMONE Cereus pedunculatus e) Notable species for reasons of rarity, national/international importance, endemism or vagrancy: SEAWEED Fucus evanescens (old slip, North Haven) An unusual northern species. FLOWERING PLANTS and FERNS Oysterplant Mertensia maritima (Muckle Uri Geo) Rare and declining species of UK shingle beaches. Frog orchid Coeloglossum viride (good, persistent colonies in Fair Isle coastal turf) Scarce and local throughout UK. Roseroot Sedum rosea (widespread on west cliffs) Scarce plant of Scottish cliffs. Scots Lovage Ligusticum scoticum (abundant on cliffs) Classic plant of Scottish cliffs. Rusty Sallow Salix cinerea oleifolia (one large plant on Funniequoy gully cliff) Rare relict (pre grazing livestock) status in Shetland. Eyebright Euphrasia foulaensis (abundant in close-cropped coastal turf) species of restricted range (endemic to Northernmost Scotland and Northern Isles). Shetland Red Campion Silene dioica var. zetlandicum (abundant on cliffs) variety endemic to Shetland. Small Adder’s-tongue Ophioglossum azoricum (widespread and frequently numerous in coastal grassland) nationally scarce species, largely restricted to remote coastal sites. Sea Spleenwort Asplenium marinum (several thriving colonies in shady, damp fissures and caves, east cliffs) nationally scarce species, rare on east facing cliffs in Shetland, occurrence restricted by precise maritime habitat requirements. SPONGE Spongionella pulchella (W. Foglistack, only recorded site) This appears to be a genuinely rare species of sponge, known from very few records since its original description last century. It has recently been found in N. Ireland (Erwin et al., 1986). One specimen was found in Shetland by Jeffreys (1869). MOLLUSC American slipper limpet Crepidula fornicata (North Haven, 27th October 1987) an American species introduced into the English Channel, a live individual in North Haven was considerably north of any other UK record. ISOPOD Idotea metallica (North Haven, 24th June 1997) 2 specimens of this distinctive slater were swept from weed fragments suspended in water column just beyond the beach. Rare in Europe. This species occasionally reaches British waters from the east coast of North America, on materials carried by the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift. CRAB Gulfweed crab Planes minutus (at sea north of Fair Isle, 28th November 1989) Northernmost World record. Ten or more in large floating coil of rope between Fair Isle and Shetland mainland. A pelagic species, common on floating seaweed in the Sargasso Sea. Very rare in Europe and not previously recorded north of Solway. FISH Basking Shark Cetorhinus maximus (previously occasional in Fair Isle waters, no recent records) An example of an internationally threatened species apparently lost to Fair Isle waters. MAMMALS Bearded Seal Erignathus barbatus (North Haven; one record, 1979) northern species, vagrant to UK waters. Fair Isle Field Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus fridarensis (common throughout the isle, including on cliffs and at edge of seabird colonies) form endemic to Fair Isle. Otter Lutra lutra (in recent years two observations of individuals swimming offshore, plus one set of tracks on beach) internationally threatened species, vagrant to Fair Isle but Orkney/Shetland a strong refuge area for species. Notable cetacean records include Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae, Sperm Whale Physeter catodon, Northern Bottlenose Whale Hyperoodon ampullatus, Cuvier’s Whale Ziphius cavirostris, (all rare in UK waters), Common Dolphin Delphinus delphi (southern distribution, infrequent in northern waters). BIRDS Fair Isle Wren Troglodytes troglodytes fridarensis (breeds and largely restricted to the coastal cliffs and geos) Form endemic to Fair Isle. Fair Isle qualifies under Articles 4.1 (arctic tern) or Article 4.2 of the EC Directive 79/409 on the Conservation of Wild Birds as a Special Protection Area by regularly supporting internationally important breeding populations of Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea (2% of British and EC populations; Annex 1 species), Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis (7% of British, 6% of EC), Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis (3% of British, 2% of EC), Arctic Skua Stercorarius skua (3% of British and EC), Great Skua Stercorarius skua (1% of British and EC), Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla (4% of British, 3% of EC), Guillemot Uria aalge (3% of British, 3% of EC), Razorbill Alca torda (2% of British & EC), Puffin Fratercula arctica (2% of British & EC, 1% of World) - [source: SPA Citation for Public Issue, Fair Isle, Shetland (209A), Research and Advisory Services Directorate, Scottish Natural Heritage, August 1993 - and see also, Managing the Sea for Birds - Fair Isle and adjacent waters (Riddiford & Thompson 1997).] Note Information mainly from Marine Conservation Review Report No FSC/OPRU/87. Volume 1, C. Howson 1988, (particularly sections a-d) and island sources (mainly summarised in Fair Isle Ecological Survey 1991-92, N. Riddiford 1992, unpublished report to NTS) |
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