The Surrounding Sea - Gower - page 112

FIG 60. Common starfish, which frequently has the amphipod Pariambus typicus on its upper surface. The first Brit-
ish record of this latter species was from Gower. (Margaret Hodge)
West Glamorgan Archive Service for Figures
ROCK POOLS
On some sections of the coast, such as that between Port-Eynon and Oxwich Point, there are extensive
rock pools. The smaller shallower pools support large areas of the common coralline seaweed Corrallina
officinalis and other algae such as the brown seaweed Dictyota dichotoma and the red seaweed Gelidium
latifolium .Incontrast,largeanddeeppoolsaredominatedby Ceramium rubrum ,averycommonredsea-
weed, on the middle shore, and by sea oak Halidrys siliquosa on the upper shore. These pools are also
the home of amphipods such as Gammarellus homari , Apherusa jurinei and Nototropis swammerdami .
Pools on the lower shore contain the prawns Hippolyte varians, Thoralus cranchi and the common prawn
Palaemon serratus . In the middle shore pools the latter overlaps with the closely related Palaemon eleg-
ans , which is the only prawn found in the highest pools. Unlike P. serratus , which migrates offshore in
winter, this species remains on the shore all year. At the top of the shore within the lichen zone pools may
alsosupportgreenalgae suchas Enteromorpha spp.andsealettuce Ulva lactuca .Allofthepoolscontain
areas of sponges.
The shallow pools on the tidal causeway that links Worms Head with the mainland contain a variety
of sea anemones, while in the deeper ones there is an astonishing range of unusual seaweeds and even
seasonal specialities, such as octopus Octopus vulgaris and spider crabs. A particularly noteworthy resid-
entisthetinybroodingcushion-starfish Asterina phylactica ,only1.5centimetresacross,thatisotherwise
only known from a very few localities in Pembrokeshire and north Cornwall. There is a star-like pattern
of darker brown or green pigment along the centre of the arms and paler areas between the arms. As this
species was only recognised recently, little is known about it.
The commonest fish in the pools are the blennies, particularly the shanny Lipophrys pholis , which
emerges at high tide to forage over the shore. An adaptable species, it is also often found around artificial
structures such as piers. The rare Montagu's blenny Coryphoblenniuus galerita can also be found on oc-
casions. Common lobsters Homarus gammarus again occur in many of the pools, while sheltering under
boulders low on the shore are most of the common British crabs. There is a great tradition of 'crabbing'
in Gower, recorded eloquently by Vaughan-Thomas, but although some still goes on today it is not as it
was. 'For the old crabbers respected skill and kept bright the names of the great men and women of the
past,likeBillyHopkinsofPort-Eynon,whohadthereputationofgoingcrabbingbymoonlight,andKitty
“Crabs” of Oxwich … They knew every hole, almost by name, some of them with strange histories.' The
longspurofrocksbeyondtheShipway,nearWormsHead,forexample,isknownastheCrabart.Crabbers
used a 'crabbing hook', a small hook at the end of a pole, to persuade the crabs and lobsters to leave their
hiding places under the rocks and in the pools. The best hooks were known as 'penny-benders' because
an old-fashioned penny coin could fit exactly inside the curving point of the hook.
OFFSHORE
The main underwater features of the Gower coast are a series of limestone ridges and gullies between
Mumbles and Pwlldu Head with rich seaweed and animal turf, sand-inundated seaweed communities in
theshallowwaterofOxwichBay,thewreckofthe Strombus andotherwrecksinOxwichBay,themussel-
dominated seabed between Port-Eynon and Worms Head, and the sandy sediments of Carmarthen Bay.