Identifying Your Eggcase

• It’s Broken - Some key features may be missing as eggcase horns and tendrils are delicate and can break easily.
• Short Horns - If the horns have snapped they'll look a lot shorter than they should. The eggcases of species such as the Small-eyed Ray and Cuckoo Ray have long and delicate horns so may not survive the surf intact.
• Colour - Don't use colour as an identifying feature. Individual animals have unique characteristics so their eggcases will be slightly different to other animals of the same species. Smallspotted Catshark eggcases in particular can be golden, yellow, dark green, brown, black or even transparent.
• Attachments - You may notice other organisms attached to the eggcase. Ignore these when making an ID.
• Misshapen Capsules – Old specimens and eggcases that’ve been dry for a long time may never fully return to their original shape when soaked.
• Beware Eggcase Imposters - The large air bladders of some species of seaweed are often mistaken for eggcases.
• Size - Size can vary greatly even within the same species. So, don’t get too caught up if it’s a centimetre or so outside of the size ranges we provide on the ID guide.

Still Having Trouble?

Sometimes eggcases can be tricky to ID, especially if they’re damaged. But we’ve seen a lot of eggcases in our time, and we’re always here to help. If you’re having trouble just send us a photo (or the specimen) and we’ll get our eggcase experts on the case.

Verifying Your Record

Seeing the eggcase, or at least a photo, is important as it enables us to verify your record. So please do send us a photo with your submission. You can do this using our online recording form or via the app (iPhone/Android).