With the theme of the exotic species living in the Oosterschelde (the Netherlands), after the success of the ”Gorishoek excursion” (see: LINK) and the great stories we’ve heard about Yerseke made Frans de Jong and I decided to go on excursion to Yerseke on July 22th, 2012.

After meeting each other on the parking lot next of Youth Centre ”De Zealte” on the Korringaweg we looked for a suitable location to go down of the sea dyke. When we arrived without sliding at the foot of the dyke, and skimmed the inventarisation area, it seemed pretty similar to Gorishoek. Only it is much dirtier and full of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis). If you look to the ground you can easily pick empty shells of the common limpet (Patella vulgata) and single valves of The queen scallop (Aequipecten opercularis). Still no Atlantic oyster drill (Urosalpinx cinerea) of the bristly crab (Pilumnus hirtellus), species for which we actually did come to Yerseke. A few meters to the water, in some pools, I saw impressive big examples of the

some of them are near the 3 centimetres. During the return to our car we saw a nice crab, not a bristly crab, but I think it is a brush-clawed shore crab (Hemigrapsus takanoi), an exotic species that repulse our aboriginal crabs, but I’m not sure about the determination. Collected that one and went to the car, and on to the other search spot near Yerseke …

… or not. The places we wanted to visit were not hardly accessible by car. If we would have walked, we would have risked missing the low tide for

the breakwaters. After a short discussion we decided to go to work island Neeltje Jans and continue our search on the North sea side of the island. There we only saw much common limpets, flat periwinkles (Littorina fabilis), a large grey top shell (Gibbula cineraria), some pullet carpet shells (Venerupis senegalensis), one living dog whelk (Nucella lapillus), a nice coloured crab, I think it is Japanese shore crab (Hemigrapsus sanguineus) and some smaller shells of the Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) at the south of the island.

Afterwards we enjoyed a delicious barbecue at the campsite where I stayed. Altogether it was not a bad day.

References:

• Bruyne, R.H. de (2004): Veldgids Schelpen. — KNNV Uitgeverij, 234 pp.