Clinocardium Nuttallii (Nuttal's Cockle)

Description:

• Bilateral Symmetry
• Heart-like shaped.
• Outer lip of flesh around the margin of the shell sports tiny tentacles and eyes that are used to detect nearby movement and chemicals.
• Ability to sense and avoid danger by using its well-developed foot to flip away.
• Live anywhere between 15 and 19 years.
• Average size ranges from 3.5 to 5.5 inches.

Taxonomy:

• Animalia
• Mollusca
• Bivalvia
• Veneroida
• Cardiidae
• Clinocardium
• C.Nuttalli

Ecology/ Features:

• Found in muddy to pure sand in sheltered conditions
• Found in vertical ranges from mid intertidal to a depth of 100 feet.
• Areas that support eelgrass tend to have a higher population.
• May contain small commensal pea crab inside the mantle cavity that feeds on materials strained out of the incurrent water stream by the clam's gills.
• Feeds on algae.
• Reproduction occurs in spring.
• Stays attached with mother until full maturation stage is reached.

Parasitism (Bonus)

This picture present Parasitism, a symbiotic relationship in which the parasite benefits at the expense of the host. In this picture, we a sea eagle feed on Flat Head fish eggs.

Pagurus Hirsutiusculus (Hairy Hermit Crab)

Description:

• Colour ranges from olive green to brown, to black.
• Measures in length up to 19mm.
• Exoskeleton
• Bilateral Symmetry
• Four legs.

Taxonomy:

• Animalia
• Arthropoda
• Malacostraca
• Decapoda
• Paguridae
• Pagurus/li>
• P. Hirsutiusculus

Ecology/ Features:

• Found along the coast from Alaska to California.
• Commonly found in tide pools with sand or rock.
• Lives in calm waters.
• Feeds on seaweed.
• Live in depths from middle intertidal zone to 110m.

Fucus Spiralis (Rockweed)

Description:

• Around 20cm.
• Has a mid-rib.
• Has a flattened blade.
• Brownish- Yellowish Fonds.
• Bilaterally symmetrical bodies.

Taxonomy:

• Protista
• Heterokontophyta
• Phaeophyceae
• Fucales
• Fucaceae
• Fucus
• F. Spiralis

Ecology/ Features:

• Generally attached to a rock.
• Usually grows high up on sheltered shores using a holdfast.
• Ability to survive long periods without water by curling and drying the fronds so that there is less surface area.
• The fronds produce slimy mucus to keep moist.
• The orange, swollen tips are reproductive bodies.

Crassostrea Gigas (Pacific Oyster)

Description:

• It's large, and rounded.
• Radial folds are extremely rough and sharp.
• Mature specimen can vary from 80mm to 400mm long.
• The two valves of the shell are slightly different in size and shape.
• Shell color varies, inside is pale white.
• Bilateral Symmetry
• Hydrostatic Skeleton

Taxonomy:

• Animalia
• Mollusca
• Bivalvia
• Ostreoida
• Ostereidae
• Crassostrea
• C. Gigas

Ecology/ Features:

• Native to Pacific Coast of Asia.
• Can be found in intertidal and subtidal zones.
• Larvae often settle on the shell of adults.
• May be hermaphrodites.

Dendraster Excentricus (Pacific Sand Dollar)

Description:

• May be brown, black, or purple in color.
• The size varies from 76 mm to 120 mm wide.
• Endoskeleton
• Spiny tube-like feet with cilia.

Taxonomy:

• Animalia
• Echinodermata
• Echinoidea
• Clypeasteroida
• Dendrasteridae
• Dendraster
• D. Excentricus

Ecology/ Features:

• Found living along the Pacific Ocean.
• Can live at a depth of 40 to 90 metres.
• Feed on larvae, copepods, diatoms, plankton, and detritus.
• Usually found in intertidial zone.
• Motion as a result of moving their spines.
• Coelom connects to tube feet.

Pisaster Ochraceus (Ochre Sea Star)

Description:

• Identified as a keystone species.
• Range in 10 to 25 centimeters in size.
• Endoskeleton
• RadialSymmetry
• Ill- defined central disk.

Taxonomy:

• Animalia
• Echinodermata
• Asteroidea
• Forcipulatida
• Asteriidae
• Pisaster
• P. Ochraceus

Ecology/ Features:

• Considered important indicator for the health of the intertidal zone.
• Ususally on mussel beds and on wave washed rocky shores.
• Found along the Pacific coastline.
• Only a few natural predators.
• Only a few natural predators.
• Feed on plankton, chitons, limpets, snails, and barnacles.

Pentidotea Wosnesenskii (Rockweed Isopod)

Description:

• Can be as large as 40mm.
• Usually colored to camouflage with the rockweed.
• Exoskeleton
• Bilateral Symmetry
• Three tissue layers

Taxonomy:

• Animalia
• Arthropoda
• Malacostraca
• Isopoda
• Idoteidae
• Pentidotea
• P. Wosnesenskii

Ecology/ Features:

• Found on rocky shores.
• Found along the British Columbia and Washington coastlines.
• Often found hiding under rockweed.
• Usually found in intertidial zone.
• Feeds on algae.
• Reproduction occurs in spring.
• Stays attached with mother until full maturation stage is reached.

Gigartina Exasperata (Turkish Towel Seaweed)

Description:

• Asymmetrical
• Anywhere between 4-32 inches in length.
• Dark in colour.
• Siliceous Skeleton

Taxonomy:

• Plantae
• Biliphyta
• Rhotophyta
• Florideophyceae
• Gigartinales
• Gigartinaceae
• G. Exasperata

Ecology/ Features:

• Found in low intertidal subtidal areas.
• Small discoid holdfast.
• Used to make carrageenan.
• Turns from red to yellow when it gets older.
• Location ranges from Alaska to Mexico.
• May have very thick blades.

Metacarcinus Magister (Dungeness Crab)

Description:

• Typically 20 cm in length, and 25 cm in width.
• Have wide, long, hard shells.
• Bilateral Symmetry
• Have five pairs of legs, the foremost pair ends in claws.
• Exoskeleton

Taxonomy:

• Animalia
• Arthropoda
• Malacostraca
• Decapoda
• Cancridae
• Metacarcinus
• M. Magister

Ecology/ Features:

• Males are attracted to females through pheromones present in the urine of the female.
• The Dungeness crab is named after Dungeness, Washington.
• Usually found along the Pacific Rim.
• They prefer to eat clams and small fish.
• They can bury themselves completely in the sand if threatened.
• Mating occurs immediately after the female has moulted and before the new exoskeleton hardens.

Haliclona Permollis (Purple Sponge)

Description:

• Soft texture
• Covered with pores.
• Asymmetrical
• Cover areas 18 to 24 inches in diametres.
• Brownish phase and lavender phase grow side by side.

Taxonomy:

• Animalia
• Porifera
• Demosponiae
• Haplosclerida
• Chalinidae
• Haliclona
• H.Permollis

Ecology/ Features:

• Encrusted in rocks.
• Cover large surface areas.
• Provide potential habitat and shelter for small invertebrates.
• Usually found close to salt water bodies.

Gobiesox Maendricus (Northern Clingfish)

Description:

• A type of saltwater fish.
• Can be anywhere from 7.5 to 15.2 cm in size.
• Bilateral Symmetry (Chordata)
• Endoskeleton

Taxonomy:

• Animalia
• Chordata
• Actinopterygii
• Gobiesociformes
• Gobiesocidae
• Gobiesox
• G. Maendricus

Ecology/ Features:

• Live along rocky shores from Alaska to California.
• Often lie low in tide pools, hiding under rocks.
• Use pelvic fins like suction cups to cling tightly to rocks or blades of kelp.
• Ability to cling to rock so tightly that rock may be pulled away by strong currents with the fish still attached..
• Females lay eggs under rocks, where they are then fertilized by male sperm.

Peltodoris Nobilis (Sea Lemon)

Description:

• Vary from pale yellow to rich yellow, orange color.
• Can grow nearly 8 inches in length.
• Bilateral Symmetry (Mollusca)
• Hydrostatic Skeleton

Taxonomy:

• Animalia
• Mollusca
• Gastropoda
• Heterobranchia
• Doridoidea
• Peltodoris
• P.Noblilis

Ecology/ Features:

• Gives off pleasant citrus smell.
• Major food source is sponges.
• Species occur in Eastern Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Baja California.
• The gills are the same yellow color as the mantle, and dark spots as seen in the picture often occur due to a dark pigment in some of the tubercles.
• Smooth labial cuticles for ingesting food.

Asterias Amurensis (Northern Pacific Sea Star)

Description:

• Large predator- 40-50 cm in diameter.
• Symmetrical Shape
• Colour varies upon location.
• Endoskeleton

Taxonomy:

Animalia

Echinodermata

Asteroidea

Focipulatida

Asteriidae

Asterias

Species: Asterias Amurensis

Ecology/ Features:

Very few natural predators

Native to the coasts of northern China, North Korea, South Korea, Russia and Japan.

Prefers water temperature between 7 to 10 degrees Celsius.

Australian scientists are working with others in Japan and Russia on a biological control using parasites which infect the sea star- as it reproduces very rapidly.

Ability to attach itself to rocks and other sea structures

Preference for shellfish as food- a diet which is posing serious threat to shellfish fisheries.

Can be found close to shore, mud, sand, or pebble substrates.

Can live in depths up to 200 metres.

Ability to produce up to 20 million eggs for adult female

Can live up to five years.