AN ABERYSTWYTH diver has photographed the first known sighting of a fish species in Welsh waters.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) said that Seasearch diver Kerry Lewis is the first to snap a Portuguese Blenny (Parablennius ruber) in Welsh waters while she was diving in The Smalls - an area 18 miles off the Pembrokeshire coast, west of St Brides Bay.

Seasearch is the MCS volunteer dive programme, where divers survey underwater areas around the UK.

MCS Wales conservation engagement officer, Paul Kay, said he was able to identify the photograph taken by Kerry, because he had snapped a Portuguese Blenny off the Aran Island in Galway Bay many years ago and had to have the fish’s identity confirmed by an expert from Madeira.

The Portuguese blenny is quite small, only growing up to about 14cm long.

“This Portuguese blenny was well-known from far further south,” Mr Kay said.

“But since my first sighting some years ago, they’ve been found along the west coasts of both Ireland and Scotland and I’ve even photographed one as far north as St Kilda.

“It’s also been recorded in the Scillies and the south coast, too, but never in Wales."

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