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Critter
of the Month Archives - 2003
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December
2003
photo by Janna
Nichols
Slender
Crab
(aka Slender Legs Crab and Graceful Crab)
Cancer gracilis
Member of the Arthropod Phylum
Beware:
Often confused with dungeness crab!
Description:
Small cancer crab, with purple legs and white margin on carapace.
Color: Tan
to brown to purplish carapace, with purple legs and white margin on carapace.
Range:
Alaska to Mexico
Size:
Up to 4.5" across the carapace. Relatively small in size compared
to much larger dungeness crabs.
Habitat:
Sand
or mud bottoms, subtidal to 470 feet.
Behavior: Fairly shy and will scuttle off
when approached.
ID Clues:
Carapace has 10 teeth and widest point on carapace is at the 9th tooth
- ie: there is one not very prominent tooth behind the widest point on
the carapace. 9th tooth does not stick out quite as much as does the 10th
tooth on a dungeness crab.
- Purple
legs
- White
margin on carapace
- Claws
with white tips
- Claws
lack serration on upper margin
-
Contributed by Wes, with photo by Janna
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November
2003
Photo
by Claude Nichols
Copper
Rockfish
Sebastes caurinus
Member of the Scorpionfish Family
Description:
Medium sized rockfish found all over Puget Sound
Color: White
to beige background, with dark or copper colored blotches. Very prominent
thick white lateral line that starts halfway back and extends to tail.
Fins lightish. Underbelly is light. Usually has yellow 'eye makeup' extending
from eyes. Many times lips are yellow too.
Range:
BC to California
Size:
Usually 10-16" but can be as large as 22"
Habitat:
Found
usually in rocky habitats or around artificial reefs.
Behavior: Many times solitary, or in small
groups. Once we saw jillions of them schooling in midwater in Hood Canal!
Amazing sight!
ID Clues:
Think of the prominent lateral line as 'copper pipe'. (thanks to Brian
McGuire of Yakima for that one!)
-
Contributed by Janna
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October
2003
photo
by Janna Nichols
Lacy
Bryozoan
Phidolorpora labiata
Member of the Bryozoa Phylum
Description:
As
Wes always says, "Once seen, never forgotten". This colony of
critters is fairly small, and very hard, yet lacy in appearance.
Reminds
me of those lace petticoats on porcelain figurines.
Color: Tannish
pinks to oranges and whites
Range:
Gulf of Alaska to Peru. Haven't seen any in Puget Sound yet, but have
seen them in the San Juans and up into Canada. Also out by Neah Bay.
Size:
Clusters up to about 2 1/2" high, to 8" in diameter.
Habitat:
Found
on rocky habitats. Common on vertical walls.
ID Clues:
Is it stiff? Hard to the touch? Delicate? Lacy? Then you've got one!
-
Contributed by Janna
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September
2003
photo
by Janna Nichols
Rock
Sole
Pleuronectes bilineatus
Member of the Right Eye Flounder Family
Description:
One
of the larger and most common flatfish you'll see in Puget Sound, this
guy is a master of disguise. Loves
to perch up on the sand on his fins. If you're sneaky, he'll let you get
a very close look before swimming away.
Color: Browns,
grays and blacks (often with white to cream spots)
Range:
Alaska to Southern California. Very common around Puget Sound.
Size:
To 24 inches long
Habitat:
Found
on both sandy, silty bottoms as well as on rock sometimes.
ID Clues:
Right Eyed fish. Lateral line arches around pectoral fin. Tail fin is
rounded or in the shape of a broad V. Mouth is small, but with FAT lips!
Scales are very visible and rough looking, because each one is edged in
black.
-
Contributed by Janna
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August
2003
photo
by Janna Nichols
Orange
Sea Cucumber
Cucumeria miniata
Member of Echinoderm Phylum
Description:
10 tentacles with branches, attached to body with
5 rows of tube feet down its length
Color: Orange
to brownish
Range:
Aleutian Islands to Southern California. Pretty common around Puget Sound.
Size:
To 8 inches long
Habitat:
Body
hides in between rocks and usually all you see are the tentacles sticking
out, often looking like some sort of plant. Sometimes you can see their
whole body though. (which is cool!)
Other Stuff to Note:
Stop and watch the Orange Sea Cucumber on your next dive. You can see
it feeding itself by sticking one of its 10 tentacles in its mouth, licking
off its fingers, pulling it out, then putting in another of its tentacles.
Some divers mistake this for a Basket Star - don't fall into that trap!
-
Contributed by Janna
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July
2003
photo
by Janna Nichols
Blackeye
Goby
Coryphopterus
nicholsi
Member of Goby family
Key
ID Features:2
separate dorsal fins (you can go between the dorsal fins on a goby). Large
scales form visible pattern on sides. Thick black edge on fore dorsal
fin. Very low fleshy crest runs along top of head from behind the eyes
to the foredorsal fin.
Color:
Variable from a solid light beige or tan to a light backgound with dark
brown or black mottling and blotches. Eye color ranges from light brown
to black. During mating, pelvic and anal fins become very dark, almost
black. May have a white or blue margin on tail
Range:
Northern
BC to central Baja
Size:
Up
to 6 inches long
Habitat:
Sandy
habitat near rock or other hard structure. Often hide in holes, crevices
and other protected places. Found at all divable depths.
Behavior:
Remain
still and allow close observation if approached carefully. Dart into hiding
places when frightened. During mating season, do a dance with head up
and tail down to better display their mating colors.
Beware
of Similar Species: Bay Goby (small scales not readily visible, no crest)
and Northern Ronquil (single continuous dorsal fin)
-
Contributed by Wes
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June
2003
photo
by Janna Nichols
California Sea Cucumber
Parastichopus californicus
Member of Echinoderm phylum
Range:
Gulf of Alaska to Baja California
Size: To 20" long
Habitat: Lives in variety of habitats; isn't
too picky!
Color: Brownish-red, sometimes white
Description: Thornlike projections (which
are really soft!) on top and sides, tube-feet underneath. Extends white
or pink feeding tentacles to mop up detritus on ocean floor. Does NOT
LIKE Sunflower Stars and will writhe to get away.
-
Contributed by Janna
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photo
by Janna Nichols
Whitespotted
Greenling
Hexagrammus stelleri
Member of the Greenling family
Recognition:
Many irregularly placed white spots on side, fins gray or tan - not yellow,
2 dark bands leading from the eye to the mouth and two irregular dark
bands from the rear of the eye towards the pectoral fin. Active swimmers.
Range:
Found from northern California to Alaska and the Bering Sea.
Size:
Can grow up to 19 inches long
Habitat:
Whitespotted
greenlings tend to live in shallow sandy bottomed areas, often areas with
eelgrass or other plants but they may be found in a variety of habitats
and at all safe diving depths.
Description:
Color
is variable, light brown / gray / greenish background with darker mottling
and small irregularly spaced white spots on body. One small cirri above
each eye.
Similar
appearing species:
Female kelp greenlings.
Memory
Clue:
White spots means whitespotted.
-
contributed by Wes
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April
2003
photo
by Janna Nichols
Gumboot
Chiton
Cryptochiton stelleri
Member of the Mollusc family
These
guys are the largest chitons in the WORLD, and I've seen them at Edmonds
UW Park, Titlow, Sunrise, San Juan Islands and north into Canada. Keep
your eyes peeled! There are lots of other types of chitons commonly seen,
but they are a lot smaller, and their 8 shell plates are exposed and not
covered.
- Also
known as: Giant Pacific Chiton, Giant Red Chiton,
Moccasin Chiton
- Range:
Alaska to Channel Islands
- Size:
Can grow up to 13 inches and more
- Habitat:
Usually rocky areas but have been spotted in sandy, silty areas too.
- Description:
Tan to reddish
brown and leathery with little bumps. You can usually see 8 segments
to its body.
And
to answer an age-old question: How do you pronounce CHITON anyway? It's
KITE-un :)
-
contributed by Janna
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March
2003
photo
by Janna Nichols
Quillback
Rockfish! (Sebastes maliger)
Members of the Scorpionfish Family
Range:
These guys are very common in Puget Sound and can be found all the way
down in California up north to Alaska.
Size:
Can grow up to 24 inches
Habitat:
Usually rocky areas
Description:
Dark brown to
black. Often mottled with yellow areas. Back half of fish is dark. Lateral
line is not real obvious. Quills on dorsal are more separate and are white.
Seems to often have yellow lips. Found alone (they don't like school much!)
:)
Memory
Clue: Think
of dipping the quills (like an old-fashioned quill pen) into the black
ink of the back half of the body.
-
contributed by Janna
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February
2003
photo
by Janna Nichols
Shiny
Orange Sea Squirt (Cnemidocarpa finmarkiensis)
Phylum Urochordata - The Tunicates
Also Known As: shiny red tunicate, red sea squirt, solitary tunicate,
broad-base sea squirt, broad base tunicate
ID
Tips:
· Generally bright red to bright orange in color
· Siphon openings are square or somewhat cross shaped
· Siphons are approximately equal in size
· Smooth, opaque surface
· Solitary - not attached to other individuals
Size:
up to 2" in diameter and 3" tall
Range:
Alaska to southern California
Depth:
Intertidal to 165' +
Habitat:
On rocks or other hard substrates such as concrete
Natural History: Adults are generally sessile - permanently attached to
the substrate
These creatures are filter feeders and usually live in areas with currents
to deliver plankton
Eaten by a number of invertebrates including the painted sea star as well
as by a number of fishes
Circumpolar in distribution
References:
Gotshall 1994, Harbo 1999, Sept 1999
(ID
tips and description by Wes Nicholson. Thanks Wes!!)
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January
2003
photo
by Janna Nichols
English
Sole - Pleuronectes vetula - member of the Right
Eyed Flounder Family
Here are
a few hints to help you identify the English sole - Pleuronectes vetulus.
The English sole is common within its normal habitats throughout the Pacific
Northwest.
Also known
as: lemon sole, California sole, pointed nose sole, common sole
ID Tips:
- Right
Eyed. (Determine this as the first step in identifying any flatfish
- but beware some species may be either right eyed or left eyed). To
determine right or left eyedness find the ventral fins, which are located
on the bottom side of the fish.
- Head
is small, slender, and pointed
- Tail
is nearly square, with small point in center
- Top
eye protrudes over the side of fish when viewed from above
- Top
eye is set further back than lower eye (further towards the tail)
- High
ridge between eyes
- Lateral
line is nearly straight, with only slight hump over pectoral fin
-a long secondary lateral line branch leads back to dorsal fin
- Mouth
is small - upper jaw (maxillary) only extends back to the front
edge (anterior) of the lower eye
- Body
is relatively slender
Color:
Variable, generally shades of brown, with some mottles and splotching.
Sometimes distinct rectangular brown blotches. May have a series of white
spots along top and bottom side of body - similar to those found on some
rock sole.
Habitat:
Generally found on soft bottoms of sand, silt or mud. Found at all depths.
Behavior:
Tend to lay flat on the bottom, often partially or completely covered
with sand or mud.
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-
ID tips and description by Wes Nicholson. Thanks Wes!!
December
2002
photo
by Janna Nichols
Crescent
Gunnel - Pholis laeta - member of the Gunnel Family
This critter
fits in perfectly with a December theme since it comes in red and green
colors (as well as shades of brown)! As you can see it's found on both
sandy and rocky bottoms. It has distinctive markings on its back and a
bar running down from its eye. They can be up to 10" long and found
at any depth within recreational limits.
-
contributed by Janna
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