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to Main Critter of the Month Index
December
2008
photo © 2008 Janna Nichols
If
you guessed Red Irish Lord, you're
right!!
Hemilepidotus
hemilepidotus
(no, I'm not stuttering)
Sculpin Family
Description
and color: Large head, with tapering body, often found in
shades of red, pink and maroon. Dorsal fin has three sections to it.
(you can see that in the photo above). Mouth has fleshy flaps in the
corners. A distinct band of rough scales about 4-5 scales wide runs
just below, and makes a U-turn around the front of the dorsal fin.
Range: Bering Sea, Alaska, to
Monterey Bay, California.
Size: Up to about 20" long
Lifespan: About 6 years
Reproduction: Spawns in winter,
females and males guard pink, yellow, purple or blue eggs found in higher
current areas.
Hangouts: Pilings, rocky reefs,
artificial reefs.
Depth: Down to about 160ft.
Behavior: So well camouflaged that
they hold quite still for photos, probably thinking that you can't see
them. Allows a nice close look.
ID Tips: Look for the row of scales
below the dorsal fin, as well as the flap at the corners of the mouth.
The color is also a good clue.
Other things to remember: Be sure
to bring your dive light and shine it on this fish to restore all the
beautiful red tones. Otherwise it can look a boring brown. We recently
saw three of these fish in close proximity with an egg mass in a very
high-current area off Lopez Island.
- contributed
by Janna Nichols, REEF Level 5
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November
2008
photo © 2008 Pete Naylor
Candy
Striped Shrimp
Lebbeus
grandimanus
Arthropoda phylum
Description
and color: Transparent body with very bright bands of blue,
yellow and red.
Range: Bering Sea to Puget Sound
Size: Up to about 1.5" long
(pretty small)
Hangouts: Under the tentacles of
certain types of anemones, its favorite being the Snakelock / Crimson
Anemone (Cribinopsis fernaldi)
Depth: 20 - 590ft. Not 591ft though.
Go check. I dare you.
Behavior: They are pretty good about
holding still and modeling for photos, as Pete Naylor can attest in
his excellent shot this month.
ID Tips: You really can't mistake
these for any other kind of shrimp. Very unique.
Other things to remember: These
little guys are almost always associated with Snakelock, Painted, Fish-Eating,
and Columbia Sand Anemones. So can someone please explain to me why
I saw them once at Edmonds UW park on regular old boring PLUMOSE anemones??
Shrimp do the darndest things.
- contributed
by Janna Nichols, REEF Level 5
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October
2008
photo © 2008 Janna Nichols
Rock
Scallop
Crassadoma
gigantea
Mollusca phylum
Description
and color: Large round ribbed shells, often covered with
other invertebrate life. All you can usually see is an orange edging
(mantle) with a pattern of blue dots. (which are its eyes. Yeah, you're
being watched!)
Range: Alaska to Baja California
Size: Up to 10" in diameter
Hangouts: Rocky habitat, attached
sometimes in cracks and crevices.
Depth: down to about 150ft.
Behavior: When you get near it,
it clamps down. All
those blue eyes detect motion and shadow, so if you want a photo of
it open, act fast or super stealthy.
ID Tips: Look for the orange 'smile'.
Other things to remember: Rock scallops
are extremely slow growers and can live up to 50 years old! They can't
replenish their numbers quickly, and can only reproduce when there are
many mature individuals in close proximity, so think twice before
legally harvesting these guys! (and preferably don't do it at all)
An area can quickly become depleted of Rock Scallops. Gone are the days
when divers were able to harvest these with little impact to their abundance.
- contributed
by Janna Nichols, REEF Level 5
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September
2008
photo © 2008 Janna Nichols
Sailfin
Sculpin
Nautichthys
oculofasciatus
Sculpin Family
Description
and color: Browns and grays to cream colored, mottled and
lighter on belly, sometimes yellows to oranges. Dark, thick band runs
through eye. Foredorsal fin is very long and sail-like.
Range: Bering Sea to Southern California
Size: Up to 8" long, but typically
2-6"
Hangouts: They take this literally,
and often can be found hanging UPSIDE DOWN in caves and crevices during
the day. At night they're active swimmers and come out of their hiding
places.
Depth: 3 - 360 ft.
Behavior: Watching these fish swim
is a real treat, because their dorsal fin flutters gracefully in ripples.
VERY cool.
ID Tips: The long foredorsal fin
and the band through the eye are dead giveaways.
- contributed
by Janna Nichols, REEF Level 5
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August
2008
photo © 2008 Janna Nichols
Red
Sea Urchin
Strongylocentrotus
franciscanus (that's a mouthful!)
Echinoderm Phylum
Description
and color: Red, to deep purplish red, with many spines.
Range: Alaska to Mexico.
Size: Shell size up to about 6"
in diameter
Hangouts: Rocky reefs
Depth: Intertidal down to 300 feet.
Behavior: Well, they don't do much,
but if you put a finger in between a few of their spines, they'll give
you an 'urchin hug'.
Favorite Snacks: Kelp,
kelp, and more kelp.
ID Tips: Don't confuse the purple
individuals with another different species, the Purple Sea Urchin (which
is smaller, and found on coastal, wave-crashed areas)
- contributed
by Janna Nichols, REEF Level 5
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July
2008
photo © 2008 Janna Nichols
Pacific
Snake Prickleback
Lumpenus
sagitta
Prickleback Family
Description
and color: Long, snake-like appearance, grays to grayish-browns.
Darker patterns along back.
Range: Alaska to central California.
Size: 6 - 10 inches long
Hangouts: Sandy, silty bottomed
areas. Most abundant in Summer to early Fall in shallows. Can be found
in deeper water in winter and spring.
Depth: 3 - 680 feet
Behavior: Very skittish and will
dart away when approached, but if you hold still, they eventually come
back to you to check you out.
ID Tips: Dashed markings along its
body in regular intervals. Don't confuse these with a Bay Goby!
- contributed
by Janna Nichols, REEF Level 5
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June
2008
photo © 2008 Janna Nichols
Orange
Sea Pen
Ptilosarcus
gurneyi
Cnidarian Phylum
Description
and color: Thick orange base, with a large orange feather
plume. Many small polyps along each branch. Young, small sea pens can
be lighter, almost white.
Range: Alaska to central California.
Size: Up to 18 inches high
Hangouts: Sandy or gravel bottomed
areas.
Depth: Subtidal to 300 feet or more
Behavior: Not able to enjoy evenings
by the fire or long walks on the beach, they settle for filter feeding
in the passing current instead. They can curl up and retract down into
the sand.
Food for Thought: Striped nudibranchs
love to munch on these, as well as Tritonia nudibranchs. Some sea stars
also enjoy Orange Sea Pens as part of their diet and you can sometimes
find what appears to be a large white toothpick in the sand - that's
all that remains after the Orange Sea Pen has been stripped of its polyps.
- contributed
by Janna Nichols, REEF Level 5
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May
2008
photo © 2008 Penelope St. John
Decorated Warbonnet
Chirolophis
decoratus
Prickleback Family
Description
and color: Mottled or barred in shades of brown. Dark bands
extend below eyes and large dark bars on each dorsal fin. Pectoral fins
have dark expanding semi-circular bands. Large bushy cirri between and
in front of eyes and on first four dorsal fin spines. Dorsal and anal
fin are separated from rounded tail by a shallow notch.
Range: Alaska to northern California.
Also Siberia, Russia and occasional Aleutian Islands.
Size: Up to 16 ½ inches long
Hangouts: Rough rocky areas with
caves, crevices and recesses. Often perch in entrances of sponges or
protected crevices.
Depth: Subtidal (5 feet) to 300
feet
Behavior: Shy, usually recess when
approached. May allow close viewing with slow, non-threatening movements
but once frightened they seldom reappear.
ID Clues: More extensive festooning
cirri, highlighted by the tree-like bush between its eyes distinguishes
it from the Mosshead Warbonnet.
- contributed
by Sarah Hillebrand, REEF Level 3
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April
2008
photo © 2008 Janna Nichols
Whitespotted
Anemone
Urticina
lofotensis
Phylum Cnidaria
Description
and color: Squat scarlet column with vertical rows of white
spots and long yellow tentacles with pink tips.
Range: SE Alaska to Southern California
AND Northern Atlantic coast
Size: Up to 6 inches high and wide
Hangouts: Usually found on exposed
rocky coast.
Depth: Intertidal - up to 50 feet
Behavior: The anemone is able to
extend its column and tentacles and carry captured food to its mouth.
When threatened the anemone will pull in all of it’s tentacles
resulting in a blob like appearance.
ID Clues: May appear like other
anemones but the white spots arranged in vertical lines are a dead give-away!
Don't confuse with the bumpy or protruding white spots
on the Columbia Sand Anemone, or on the Painted Anemone.
Comments: The juvenile painted greenling
is often associated with this anemone and when larger often sleeps at
it’s base at night.
- contributed
by Sarah Hillebrand, REEF Level 3
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March
2008
photo © 2008 Janna Nichols
Juvenile Yelloweye Rockfish
Sebastes
ruberrimus
Scorpionfish Family
Description
and color: Red, with white stripes. Fins edged in white.
Younger ones are darker, and turn more reddish orange as they get older.
(and lose their stripes too)
Range: Alaska to Northern Baja
Size: Juveniles are usually up to
about 8 inches long.
Hangouts: Deep! Love rocky reef
areas with cracks and overhangs and places to hide.
Depth: You won't usually see them
unless you're below about 80 feet.
Behavior: Shy, but will hang around
if you're stealthy and sneaky and just observe non-threateningly.
ID Clues: Bright to dark red with
beautiful white stripes! Nothing else like 'em!
Comments: The Adult Yelloweye Rockfish
usually dwells well below recreational diving limits, so chances of
you seeing one of them are slim. Juveniles are very cool to find!
- contributed
by Janna Nichols, REEF Level 5
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to the top
February
2008
photo © 2008 Janna Nichols
Giant
Barnacle
Balanus
nubilus
Arthropod Phylum
Description:
Looks just like a regular barnacle - on steroids! Often covered
with other marine growth, like sponges, hydroids or algae.
Color: White, unless covered with
other things
Range: Alaska to Southern California
Size: Up to about 5" high and
4" wide, often found in clusters
Hangouts: Need something hard to
attach to, so rocky or artificial reef areas. Love high current areas
(more food drifts by that way)
Depth: Intertidal - 300 ft.
Behavior: Watch next time you see
one and observe its feeding appendages (which are actually its legs!)
go in and out, grabbing little bits of yummy things to eat that are
drifting by.
ID Clues: Nothing else down there
looks like these - they're giant barnacles!
Comments: Empty giant barnacle shells
sometimes have Grunt or Scalyhead Sculpins, Mosshead Warbonnets, or
eggs hiding inside.
- contributed
by Janna Nichols, REEF Level 5
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January
2008
photo © 2008 Janna Nichols
Longfin
Gunnel
Pholis
clemensi
Gunnel Family
Description:
Long slender fish with regular markings on back
Color: Bright red, orange, or brownish
Range: SE Alaska to N. California
Size: 3-5 inches.
Hangouts: Rocky reef areas
Depth: 25 - 200 ft.
Behavior: Can be approached, but
when alarmed will dart off a short distance away and settle down again.
Sometimes will retreat into a rocky crack.
ID Clues: Vertical markings that
look something like a chain - often meeting with a horizontal line
Comments: Not seen as often as the
other gunnels, these are fun to spot!
- contributed
by Janna Nichols, REEF Level 5
