The common mussel is a familiar sight on shores all around the UK and is a favourite food of people, seabirds and starfish alike.

The ragworm is highly common on our shores, though rarely seen except by the fishermen that dig them up for bait.

These little critters are related to the woodlice you find in your garden and play a very important role on rocky shores.

This shiny beetle is common in wooded areas throughout the UK. As the name suggests, it specialises in hunting snails.

Found on rocky shores and seabeds, the Keyhole limpet gets its name from the little hole at the tip of its shell.

Their long narrow shells are a common sight on our shores, especially after storms, but the animals themselves live buried in the sand.

This sponge is found on rocky shores around the UK and looks like a thick bready crust (if you use your imagination a bit!).

This sea snail is abundant on rocky shores around the UK. It is an active predator, feasting on mussels and barnacles before retreating to crevices to rest.

As its name suggests, Himalayan balsam is from the Himalayas and was introduced here in 1839. It now an invasive weed of riverbanks and ditches, where it prevents native species from growing.