By Sophie Atkinson, Wild Coast Sussex Project Officer



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://dnu7gk7p9afoo.cloudfront.net/nursehound-eggcase.jpg" alt="Nursehound eggcase" /><figcaption>Nursehound eggcase © Sophie Atkinson</figcaption></figure>



During a citizen science training event on Rottingdean Beach, Wild Coast Sussex Project Officer Sophie Atkinson discovered a rare find for Sussex beaches, a Nursehound eggcase. Nursehounds are the largest catshark species found in the UK, reaching up to 160cm, and their eggcases are significantly larger than those of the Small-spotted Catshark, the more common species we find in Sussex. 



None of the Wild Coast Sussex team have found a Nursehound eggcase before, so this was a special find, and a great opportunity for those attending the training event to learn about this species of shark.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://dnu7gk7p9afoo.cloudfront.net/800nursehound-and-small-spotted-catshark-eggcases.jpg" alt="Nursehound eggcase (top) compared to Small-spotted Catshark eggcase (bottom) © Sophie Atkinson" title="Nursehound eggcase (top) compared to Small-spotted Catshark eggcase (bottom) © Sophie Atkinson" /><figcaption>Nursehound eggcase (top) compared to Small-spotted Catshark eggcase (bottom) © Sophie Atkinson</figcaption></figure>



Sophie recorded her finding with the Shark Trust via their app, and this data will now become part of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sharktrust.org/greateggcasehunt">The Great Eggcase Hunt</a>, a UK-wide citizen science project that tracks the distribution of sharks in the UK. If you find shark, skate, or ray eggcases washed up on the beach, we encourage you to record them as well, and contribute to science and conservation.

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Nursehound Eggcase – An Exciting Find