Daily Archives: Saturday,December 15, 2001

Haliacetus leucocephalus: Bald Eagle–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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In November 2009, Ryan Murphy captured this set of images when a juvenile eagle was making his daily pass by to prey on a seabird. The juvenile california gull provides the meal for that day. Click the image to see a slide show video of this sequence..See the Eagle Set on Ryan’s Flickr site

Bald Eagles measure from 30″ to 43″ ( 76 to 109 cm) in length and from 70″ to 96″ ( 2 to 2.4 m) in wingspan. They have a high thin, chittering voice which contrasts with its magnificent appearance. Bald Eagle’s diet is primarily based on fish catching. It also eats carrion and crippled waterfowl. At Race Rocks, eagles frequently take adult Gulls and Pigeon Guillemots as can be seen in the accompanying images.

The adult Bald Eagle has a snow-white head and tail, the immature ones have brown head feathers which develop white underneath and gradually grow out over several years.
It was formerly found living all over North America. Hunting, poaching and the growth of civilization has had a negative impact in the Bald Eagle population whch has dimished considerably in the last decades. Nowadays it is found only in the Aleutians, Alaska, sections of Northern and Eastern Canada, British Columbia, Northern United States and Florida.

Its habitat is on or near seacoasts as well as close to large lakes and rivers, where the fish population is abundant. It nests in tall conifers, often old growth Douglas Fir or Cedar. Nests are common in the Southern part of Vancouver island. The closest to Race Rocks are on Bentinck Island and along Taylor Beach. The nests are renovated every year starting in January with new sticks, often ripped from tall dead fir trees. The eggs are white and come in groups of 1 to 3 each time.Its beachcombing , scavenging role, and the fact that it eats at the highest trophic level, can cause the Bald Eagle to accumulate pesticides in its body ( from contaminated fish and wildllife. ) The Bald Eagle population remains high in the rain forest coastal area of central and Northern British Columbia and Alaska.

This image comes from the slide show “Fresh Kill” It provides a closeup of an eagle whose head coloring is almost mature, but has not yet lost its dark speckling.
Reference: Miklos D. F. Uduvardy ,1977 The Audubon Society, Field Guide to North American Birds, Western region., Chanticler press, fifth edition: NY

 

The nictitation membrane is a transparent inner eyelid in birds, reptiles, and some mammals that closes to protect and moisten the eye. It is also called the third eyelid.
Pam captured these images of young eagles close to camera 5 in the spring of 2005 to help us demonstrate this adaptation.You can find further information about this feature at: http://ebiomedia.com/gall/eyes/protect.html

Bald Eagles in the Rain

 

 

 

 

Bad Hair Day for the Eagles

 

 

 

Other Members of the Class Aves at Race Rocks.

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams. Carolina Munoz 1987

 

Haliclystus salpinx –Stalked jellyfish: The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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These animals are best desribed as “upside down” medusae, with their bell extended into a stalk which is attached, in the case of this species, mostly to surfgrass leaves. They occur from low intertidal to the subtidal littoral. They feed mostly on caprellid amphipods. Natural size up to 1cm :

 

Stalked Jellyfish Haliclystus salpinx

Stalked Jellyfish Haliclystus salpinx

Note update on Taxonomy of :STAUROZOA*

“Stauromedusae are little stalked jellyfishes that spend their entire life attached to the substrate (rock or algae, usually), rather than swimming freely up in the water column like most other jellyfish. They have long been considered to be in the Order Stauromedusae in the Class Scyphozoa of the Phylum Cnidaria, but recent morphological and molecular studies (Marques and Collins, 2004; Collins and Daly, 2005) argued convincingly that they should be elevated to a rank equal to both the Scyphozoa and Cubozoa, as the Staurozoa. For those who prefer to apply taxonomic ranks, these might now all be considered Classes, but many scientists are pulling away from the concept of tight adherence to the old hierarchies of rank, in which case just “Staurozoa” will do.” (C.Mills)

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Image by Ryan Murphy of the habitat of this animal, showing attachment to eel grass. Taken at Swordfish Island at 4 metres depth.

The Haliclystus salpinx is among the order of cnidarians which the more commonly known are jelly fish. Unlike jelly fish however this family of cnidarians is not free floating but more or less fixed, and always attached to the blade of eelgrass. It occurs frequently in the eelgrass bed around Swordfish island and Emdyck Pass near Bentinck island adjacent to Race RocksIt moves on very slowly or by somersaulting itself from one plant to another. Its physiological makeup has not been studied in enough detail at the present time how ever it shares some characteristics with more documented species. The Haliclystus salpinxas can be seen by the photo appears as an upside down medusae or in common terms jelly fish with its tentacles pointing outwards. The bell of the hydroid is then attached to a stalk that is stationery on the eel grass. It is found in the tidal and intertidal zones rendering it more conducive to shallow water as opposed to deep water.

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Staurozoa*
Order Stauromedusae
Suborder Eleutherocarpida
Family Lucernariinae
Genus Haliclystus
Species salpinx   (Clark, 1863)
COMMON NAME: Stalked Jellyfish

RANGE:

It is located most abundantly in the North Atlantic, Europe and Asia where areas are generally free external influences on rocky coasts. They are generally found in intertidal and tidal zones attached to surf grass.

REFERENCES CITED:

Mills, C.E. Internet 1999-2001. Stauromedusae: list of all valid species names. Electronic internet document available at http://faculty.washington.edu/cemills/Stauromedusae.html Published by author, web page established October 1999, last updated December 2nd 2001.

This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by the students, faculty, volunteers and staff of Lester B. Pearson College– Dec 2001, by Sarah Gross

 

 

Epizoanthus scotinus : zooanthid anemone–

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Epizoanthus scotinus photo by Ryan Murphy

Description

The Epizoanthus is an anemone of the phylum Cnidaria. The class Anthozoa, into which it falls, has the literal meaning of flower animals, hence the Epizoanthus scotinus is a flower animal. Most Anthozoa belong to the subclass zoantharia with about 1000 species of sea anemones and 2500 species of stony corals that have been identified. Typical of the subclass zoantharia, Epizoanthus scotinus is colonial. The bases of the polyps in each group are connected having a column with sand or other foreign material embedded in it. The anemone are abundant along sea coasts but zoantharia occur in deep water as well. At Race Rocks, we typically find this species in darkened protected spaces, such as along the base of a vertical rock or under a protecting overhang. They are not very common but when they do occur, they will occupy up to 900 square centimeters. They also occur in very shallow water at Weir Point in Pedder Bay

 This short video taken by the divers shows a close up view, showing the density of the colony. They are a rather primitive looking, small anemone,.

 

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalae
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Anthozoa
Subclass Zoantharia
Order Zoanthinaria
Genus Epizoanthus
Species scotinus
Common Name Zooanthid anemone
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A large colony of Epizoanthus scotinus on a boulder. Photo by Ryan Murphy

Return to the Race Rocks Taxonomy Index

This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by the students, faculty, staff and volunteers  of Lester B. Pearson College Dec. 2001 Sikhululekile Hlatshwayo,
PC yr 27

Orange hermit crab

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In this video, the orange hermit crab inhabits the shell of an Oregon triton


The Elassochirus gilli (Benedict 1892), commonly known as the Orange Hermit Crab, is commonly found in the waters around Race Rocks. Hermit crabs are abundant around the world. They have soft rear ends that need the protection of the hard snail shell for survival. Hermit crabs carry their shell homes on their backs and tuck themselves away inside for protection using their strong stomach muscles. Sometimes, hermit crabs experience housing problems. As the crab outgrows one shell, it must find another often running into serious competitions for available homes in the right size range. Once it has found a suitable home it will not look again for some time. In any case, hermit crabs will fight for exclusive rights to empty shells. However, they will never displace a live snail from its home.In the video above, the crab inhabits the shell ot the Oregon triton snail, Fusitriton oregonensis .They have two sets of legs that they extend outside their shell for walking and two pairs of legs tucked away inside that they use to move their body around inside their shell.
The right cheliped surface of the Elassochirus gilli is smooth (without small spines) with its shield equal in length and width. The eyestalk of the crab is stout and its cornea is not inflated. The left hand is oval with a wide fixed finger. However, its greatly expanded and flattened right claw is a distinguishing feature. The walking legs of the crab are compressed and yet another distinguishing feature of the species is its bright blue upper leg. The Elassochirus gilli is usually rather uniformly orange to red.

The size of the male crab, is on average, about 20.4m in length. In this secies, the males are without paired pleopods and the females are without paired gonoppores.

The Elassochirus gilli prefers bedrock in areas of fast moving current. As such, its primary habitat is in rocky areas.
Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Class Crustacea
Order Decapoda
Infraorder Anomura
Superfamily Paguroidea
Family Paguridea
Genus Elassochirus
Species gilli
COMMON NAME: Orange Hermit Crab

WEBSITES AND REFERENCES ON ELASSOCHIRUS GILLI

http://www.oceanlink.island.net/oinfo/biodiversity/hermitcrab.html

Kozloff, Eugene N. Seashore Life of the Northern Pacific Coast, University of Washington Press (1996), p.410

Hart, Josephine F. Crabs and their Relatives of British Columbia, British Columbia Provincial Museum, Victoria (1982), p.124

pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams. Dec 2001- N’kiru Okagbue

 

Zalophus californianus: California Sea lion–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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rmuwoct11califswim

California sea lion photo by Ryan Murphy

 

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Male California sea lion– note ears;

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California sea lion. still wet and therefore almost black. When they are dry they are dark brown. G.Fletcher photo.

California sea lions are known for their intelligence, playfulness, and noisy barking. Their color tends toward chocolate brown, although females are often a lighter golden brown. Males may reach 1,000 lbs. (more often 850 lbs.or 390 kg) and 7 feet (2.1 m) in length. Females grow to 220 lbs. (110 kg) and up to 6 feet (1.8 m) in length. They have a “dog-like” face, and around five years of age, males develop a bony bump on top of their skull called a sagittal crest. The top of a male’s head often gets lighter with age. These members of the Otariid, or walking seal, family have external ear flaps and are equipped with large flippers which they use to “walk” on land.

The trained “seals” in zoos and aquaria are usually California sea lions.

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Dry sea lion on the left and wet one on the right with a northern sea lion lying behind them. Sept 2006-G.Fletcher photo

In this picture they are seen mixed in with the Northern Sea Lions on many of the islands at Race Rocks. They do prefer however, West Rock, North Rock and the North West corner and the docks area of Great Race Rocks.

 

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Northern and California Sea lion with Mt Baker in the background. photo: G.Fletcher

In 1970 , Trevor Anderson reported to David Hancock for the Journal article “California Sea Lion as a Regular Winter Visitant off the British Columbia Coast” that ” California Sea Lions had hauled out on rocks near the light every winter since 1966…. and a peak of population of 30 was reached in February, 1969.”

It is clear that the population of these animals has risen considerably over the years, and by 2007, up to 300 may haul out in the fall of the year.

rmsept1411slstair

In the fall of 2011, the California sea lions were especially attracted up near the house in mid September . They all departed when an earthquake struck the north end of Vancouver island. Ryan Murphy photo

BREEDING

Sea lions do not pup at Race Rocks, it is strictly a winter haulout colony. Most pups are born on the outer coast to the South in June or July and weigh 13-20 lbs. (6-9 kg). They nurse for at least 5-6 months and sometimes over a year. Mothers recognize pups on crowded rookeries through smell, sight, and vocalizations. Pups also learn to recognize the vocalizations of their mothers. Breeding takes place a few weeks after birth. Males patrol territories and bark almost continuously during the breeding season. Gestation lasts about 50 weeks and lactation 5 to 12 months. The longevity is estimated to be around 17 years.

FEEDING HABITS

California sea lions are opportunistic feeders and eat such things as squid, octopus, herring, rockfish, mackerel, anchovy and whiting. The California sea lion competes with the Northern Sea Lion Eumetopias jubata for habitat and food

NOTES

California sea lions are very social animals, and groups often rest closely packed together at favored haul-out sites on land, or float together on the ocean’s surface in “rafts.” They are sometimes seen porpoising, or jumping out of the water, presumably to speed up their swimming. Sea lions have also been seen “surfing” breaking waves.

The males are probably the most vocal of all mammals, and let out a loud incessant honking bark to protect over their territories. They are faithful to their territories, and to their harems of up to 15 females. Sea Lions swim up to 25mph which makes them one of the fastest aquatic carnivores.

Sea lions are known to damage fishing gear and steal or destroy fish in the nets. As a result a lot of California sea lions drown in nets and they are frequently shot at by commercial fishers.
See examples below and in the video.

Sea lions are preyed upon by killer whales. Sea lions are known to have such diseases as pneumonia, caused by a parasitic lungworm, and a bacterial infection called leptospirosis, which affects their livers and kidneys.

Other problems for California sealions involve humans. Sea lions have been found illegally shot and also caught in drift or gill nets and other marine debris. However, their population is growing steadily, and California sea lions can be seen in many coastal spots

The Californian Sea lion was once killed in great numbers for their blubber which could be made into oil, and the rest would be made into dog food. Today the seal lion is protected by international treaty which has led to a positive shift in their populations.

Domain Eukarya
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Pinnipedia
Family: Otariidae
Genus: Zalophus
Species: californianus
Common Name: California Sea Lion

 ARCHIVED VIDEOS of Sea lions at Race Rocks
sealionimpactsSeptember, 2003 : This past few months we have seen three California and Northern Sea lions with fishing flashers hanging from their mouths. These animals pursue fishing lures , probably especially when live bait is used. They swallow the bait, and take down the meter plus length of leader line before the flasher comes to their mouth. The individuals will be seen for several days trailing these flashers. It is not known whether they eventually shed the flasher or whether this leads to an untimely death. Although they can pick up a flasher in waters at some distance from their haulouts, it certainly makes sense to restrict fishing activity when marine mammals are in the vicinity of a fishing vessel.
slionsFrom August to November, a group of California sea lions hauls out on the shore to the East of the Docks with a few even staying on the docks. They get very used to the boats docking there and are often joined by a few large Northern sea lions as well. The constant barking sound comes from the California Sea lions, and the low growls are from the Northerns.”
lionblastsEffects of DND Blasting at Bentinck Island: On November 7, 2002, the DND were still doing their demolition blasting exercises at Bentinck Island. (not Oct 7 as stated in this draft version of the video) The students from Lester Pearson College who were out for a project week were able to catch the images of the impact of these blasts on the first day from the science centre window and on the second day from the top of the light tower. In the tower, they interviewed Mike Demarchi of LGL who is currently doing a $50,000 contract for the Department of National Defence to monitor the impact of these blasts and to compare them with other disturbances at Race Rocks. ( Click on audio icon below)
ecotourimpactsEcotourism can have both positive and negative effects. In this video, you see twoecotourist whale-watching boats from Victoria B.C. that demonstrate two methods of viewing marine mammals. The yellow boat, the Prince of Whales rounds the middle rock inside the kelp bed, much too close to the island which is covered with northern sea lions and a few California sea lions. Since the animals on the North side of the island do not see the boat coming at this close distance, theyare startled and about 25 of them take to the water. Thehigh profile of the boatis increased by the individuals standing on the top of the boat, probably adding to the scare value.The other boat, the Discovery Launch, comes down the main passage between Great Race and the middle rock. They have approached slowly, drift with the current and present very little impact on both the sea lions on the middle rock and the harbour seals hauled out on the main island down in the foreground. Missing from this video however is video of their departure from the reserve where they swing in very close to the end of the docks, causing a stampede of a dozen sea lions in that areaThere are definite guidelines on viewing distance which are occasionally ignored by commercial operators and by private boats of the public that come into the reserve. Disturbance of any marine mammal colonies by vessel operators is against the law. Every time an animal has to change it’s behaviour because of human behaviour, there is a cost in terms of energy expenditure. Violations of this regulation should be reported to federal fisheries.If you feel you would like to provide feedback on this issue to the Department of Fisheries see contact information in this booklet on their Guidelines
dndblastsDND blasting at Bentinck Island.This video was made on October 7, 2002 in order to document the effect of the Department of National Defence demolition exercises on Bentinck Island on the behaviour of birds and marine mammals at Race Rocks MPA. In previous years we have observed considerable disruption by military exercises involving blasting on nearby Bentinck Island in the fall just after the sea lions have returned to the island. We have requested that blasts be spread out over a longer period of time during an exercise. Traditionally blasts have come in a series of three. The first one would alert the sea lions, the second would send a few in the water and the third would clear the islands. This year on this one occasion, only two blasts were held at five minutes apart. The results are shown in the video.gfsept0809brand849BRANDING:We often encounter marine mammals in the reserve which have been marked when trapped in another location as part of a scientific study. We are including in this file a set of pictures of marine mammals which have been tagged in various studies, along with the particulars of the observations. sealion12ENTANGLEMENT:

In September 1999, this California sealion, with a plastic hoop around his neck, was photographed from the docks at Race Rocks by MPA Guardian Carol Slater.

Sea lion with a plastic ring on his neck.

A sea lion with a plastic ring on his neck. See this file for our posts on “entanglement”. It shows the many examples of human debris compromising the health of sea lions.Sometimes however, there is a good news story. It seems like this California sea lion has made somewhat of a recovery, with skin growing over the plastic. See this and other images by . Ryan Murphy in his Flickr album.

SUBSPECIES

Three subspecies are recognized: Zalophus californianus californianus (Lesson, 1828), Zalophus californianus wollebaeki (Sivertsen, 1953) and Zalophus californianus japonicus (Peters, 1866), each living in a clearly separate range. According to Rice (1998), the differences between these types justifies classification as separate species: Zalophus californianus, Zalophus wollebaeki and Zalophus japonicus

seali2sleep

Ecological Equivalents:  The subspecies Zalophus wollebaeki sea lion from the Galapagos Islands.

 

Other Members of the Class Mammalia at Race Rocks.

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.

File originally compiled by Caroline Mwaniki (PC yr. 27)

 

Orcinus orca: Killer Whale–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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Orcinus orca with prey– photo by Ryan Murphy, Sept 21 2010

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In 1978, a group of divers from Lester Pearson College were mapping the underwater life in the Rosedale Reef area just South of Great Race Rocks. A large bull orca, from a transient pod surfaced near the boat. Duane Prentice who was then a student in the Diving Service at Pearson College, took this photo from the dive boat. The photo was featured the following year in the Lester Pearson College Proposal for an Ecological Reserve at Race Rocks. Duane is now a photo-journalist living in Victoria.

 

AF-orca-and-ship2jan132014

This image of a bulk carrier , whales and eagles is one that was added to our Oil Spill and Animals at Race Rocks page photos by Alex Fletcher.

In the Ecoguardian log of January 13, 2014, Alex Fletcher reported his sightings of Orcas that week at Race Rocks Ecological Reserve. See the images below:

Physical characteristics:
Size:

1crooked

From one of the Race Rocks Activity pages of 2002: “We spotted an Orca on our way back to Pearson College from Race Rocks. An exciting end to an exciting day.”

Although small compared to some whales, killer whales are the largest predators of mammals known.  Male killer whales, or bulls, average 5.8 to 6.7 m (19-22 ft.) and usually weigh between 3,628 and 5,442 kg (8,000-12,000 lb.). Females, or cows, average 4.9 to 5.8 m (16-19 ft.) and usually weigh between 1,361 and 3,628 kg (3,000-8,000 lb.). Individual sizes vary significantly between geographical areas.  Length estimates for more than 2,000 killer whales taken by North Atlantic whaling operations show male North Atlantic killer whales average about 6.1 m (20 ft.) while females average about 5.5 m (18 ft.).

Body Shape:
A killer whale has a sleek, streamlined, fusiform (tapered at both ends) body shape.
frontOn Sept 25, 1999 students from Pearson College and teacher Catrin Brown went out to Whirl Bay to retrieve the bones of a female Orca, L21 who had died.
The photos and story of that episode can be found in this post.

rightside

 

 

See images of the skeletal mount which now hangs in the biology lab at Pearson College

 

Coloration:

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Orcinus orca, (killer whales),  South West of Race Rocks …Photo by Jeff Lorton

The dorsal surface and pectoral flippers are black, except for the gray saddle area located just behind the dorsal fin.  The ventral (bottom) surface, lower jaw, and undersides of the tail flukes are mostly white.  The undersides of the tail flukes are fringed with black. A white ‘eyespot’ is located just above and slightly behind each eye. The markings on the flukes and saddle patch have been used as the standard method of identification of Killer whales. Their vocalizations were researched in the 1980’s by John Ford. He spent many hours in the Race Rocks and the rest of the waters around Vancouver Island for his research.

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Ryan Murphy has taken pictures of the Orcas that he has seen in the Ecological reserve since 2009.See this Flickr set for the complete set.

Photos below by
Roberto Serpelloni, (PC yr 25) March, 2000

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Sub-Phylum Vertebrata
Class Mammalia
Sub-Class Eutheria
Order Cetacea
Sub-Order Odontoceti
Family Delphinidae
Genus Orcinus
Species orca

Behavior:

Sound travels well in water and orcas communicate with calls, clicks and whistles. They use ‘echolocation’ clicks to navigate and find food.  Orcas can leap out of the water to ‘breach’. Orcas also ‘spy-hop’, rising vertically in the water with their heads in the air, looking around.

Permanent mother-led family groups form extended families called ‘pods’. Though mothers are the primary caregivers, everyone plays a part in caring for the young.  The social life is vital.  Each pod has its own distinct dialect.

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A collage of pictures of an Orca killing a seal- taken from the video..

 

Living at Race Rocks affords the rare opportunity to see attacks by Transient Orcas on the resident harbour seal population. In this video below,  Mike and Carol Slater captured some of the sequence in an event that happened some distance off the South islands.[video width=”640″ height=”480″ mp4=””https://www.racerocks.ca/wp-content/uploads?2015/12/orca_300.mp4″}{/video

orcollageA collage of pictures of an Orca killing a seal- taken from the video above.
 Biotic-associations:

The website http://www.cgo.wave.ca/~wolfy/orca.html offers detailed information about orca’s bio-associations and hunting manners. It is based upon a comprehensive bibliography that includes several research papers and books. (Link opens in a new window).

Local Research on Killer whales:
Robin W. Baird and Hal Whitehead ,Social organization of mammal-eating killer whales: group stability and dispersal patterns
.2000,
Ford, J.K.B. 1991. Vocal traditions among resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) in coastal waters of British Columbia.
Can. J. Zool. 69: 1454-1483.
Bigg, M.A., P.F. Olesiuk, G.M. Ellis, J.K.B. Ford & K.C. Balcomb III. 1990. Social organization and genealogy of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) in the coastal waters of British Columbia and Washington State.
Rep. Int. Whal. Commn. (Special Issue 12): 383-405.
Ford, J.K.B. 1989. Acoustic behaviour of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) in British Columbia.
Can. J. Zool. 67: 727-745.

From John Ford’s website you can hear Killer whale sounds of the Southern Resident Killer Whales.

cetaceanEarly research: The Cetacean Watch Newsletter , Dec 1986. A Discussion of Victoria’s Killer whale early warning system, and the installation of the first hydrophone at Race Rocks.(1986)

 

Link to the Ecotourism problems  page:

bewhalewiseLink to the Be Whale Wise website for viewing guidelines
Other Members of the Class Mamalia at Race Rocks.

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.

Jaffar Saleh Subaie PC yr 27

Smithora naiadum: Seagrass laver–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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smithoraHerbarium sheet showing Smithora growing as an epiphyte on Phylospadix

Smithora naiadum will by mid-summer turn much of the green surf grass Phyllospadix, a deep maroon color. This happens subtidally and in the deep tidepools on the west shore of Race Rocks. It is interesting to speculate at which point this epiphyte turns from being a harmless obligate epiphyte organism to one that is actually having a negative effect on the host plant as it increases the shading from sunlight.

Classification is disputed

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Protoctista
Division Rhodophyta
Genus Smithora
Species naiadum

Common Name: Seagrass laver, red fringe {Smithora = after Gilbert Morgan Smith, a leading America botanist and phycologist, and a professor of botany at Stanford University}

See other members of the Phylum Rhodophyta

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams. Dec 2001-Luis Carlos M. PC yr 27

 

Phoca vitulina: Harbour Seal –The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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The total harbour seal population in the eastern north Pacific is estimated to be  330,000, and in California the estimated population was 40,000 in 1997.  They usually are found in small groups, but sometimes occur in numbers of up to 500.
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RANGE/HABITAT:  Harbour seals are found across the Northern Hemisphere in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  In the Northeast Pacific, they range from Alaska to Baja California, in Mexico. They favor near-shore coastal waters and frequent sandy beaches, mudflats, bays, and estuaries.

See the most recent posts on harbour seals by the Ecoguardians at Race Rocks 

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Harbour seal photo by Ryan Murphy 2002

silverHarbour seals spend about half their time on land and half in water, and they sometimes sleep in water.  They can dive to 1,500 feet (457 m) for up to 40 minutes, although their average dive lasts 3 to 7 minutes.  They are opportunistic feeders and hunt for sole, flounder, sculpin, hake, cod, herring, octopus, and squid.They will also take fairly large salmon.

This image of a mother an baby harbour seal was taken by Ryan Murphy when he was the Ecoguardian at Race Rocks 2009-2011 See this and many more excellent shots  on his Flickr album of Race Rocks Seals here.rmharbsealandpup

” Ryan and I were doing a live webcast from West Race Rocks, when we came across this harbour seal. It kept returning for a view of our activities so we were able to take several video shots while it hovered nearby. We noticed how it seemed to like returning to this rock pinnacle which was covered with kelp and the plumose anemone. When the lights of the camera get in at close range on the stalks or stipes of the kelp, you can see the brightly colored brooding anemone.” Andras Rozmer, (PC year 26)

 

Birthing location. Mother and and baby harbour seal. A few scenes taken in June at the time of the harbour seals giving birth. Note membranes still attached to the mother in the swimming scenes near the end.

 

Harbour seals are year-round residents of Race Rocks. Their numbers increase to over 400 in June and July at the peak of the pupping season. This video shows a quiet scene with seals hauled out on the shore on the west side of Race Rocks.

 

Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Clade: Pinnipedia
Family: Phocidae
Genus : Phoca
Species : vitulina

Phoca vitulina (Linnaeus, 1758 )

COMMON NAME: Harbour Seal

sealbay

In the summer, the South East bay is often populated by harbour seals. In this view taken in July, 2005 from the tower, you can count at least 25 seals.

southrock

This shot is from the tower of the south bay by PB, Sept. 14 2007, the seals can be seen swimming underwater.

sleeprock

Harbour seals on the south intertidal island, Sept. 2007

sealislandlong

A panorama of the seals on South Islands in June.. photo: GF

sealeaten2

The cause of death of this seal is unknown.It could have been hit by a boat.

sealeaten

It had been providing food for an eagle several days before this picture was taken: see video:

rmsept2009decapsealAt Race Rocks,the Harbour seals are year round residents, although their numbers peak in mid summer to over 400. They have pups on the island from March to July. This file shows what happens if boat traffic is too fast in the ecological reserve or around any seal haulout area,

 

Damion Wilson PC Year 27.
Other Members of the Class Mammalia at Race Rocks.

See the most recent posts on harbour seals by the Ecoguardians at Race Rocks 

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.

 

Haliotis kamtschatkana: Northern Abalone–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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Cryptic Coloration of Abalone
Associated organisms with abalone.

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Gastropoda
Subclass Prosobranchia
Order Archaeogastropoda
Suborder Pleurotomariina
Family Haliotidae
Genus Haliotis
Species kamtschatkana
Common Name: Northern Abalone

Paulina and the PC Divers go in search of abalone for our population tagging program. The opportunity arises to demonstrate the escape response of the Northern Abalone, when it is presented with a Pycnopodia, the giant sunflower star.

Scott Wallace did research in 1997 and 1998 at Race Rocks with Pearson College divers. He studied the population dynamics of the Northern Abalone, Haliotis kamtchatkana. His research was done as part of a PhD thesis in Resource Management from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. In May of 2000, he returned to Race Rocks for a dive with Garry and Hana and an interview with Stephanie Paine and Director Julia Nunes for the Discovery Channel. In this video he demonstrates the measurement technique he used in his research

Link to Abstract of Scott’s Paper
Wallace, Scott, S. 1999, Evaluating the Effects of Three Forms of Marine Reserve on Northern Abalone Populations in British Columbia, Canada. Conservation Biology, Vol 13 No 4, August, 1999, pages 882-887.
An article by Scott Wallace:
Out of Sight, Out of Mind, and Almost out of Time out of sight out of mind–mpa

 

 

 

n 1998, we began a long term research program, initiated by Dr. Scott Wallace, on the population dynamics of the Northern Abalone
(Haliotis kamtschatkana).

For several years, the Pearson College divers monitored the population. In this video, Pearson College graduate Jim Palardy (PC yr.25) explains the process.

Carmen Braden and Garry find a Northern Abalone exposed at low tide in June in the intertidal zone of the east side of Race Rocks. They talk about its adaptations and the problem of overharvesting which has resulted in the endangered status.

This abalone was filmed by Felix Chow as it was rasping off diatoms from the glass wall of the aquarium. A small tongue or radula scrapes the algae from the walls.

General information:

Northern or Pinto abalones (Haliotis kamtschatkana) belong to the class of mollusks having a shell that consists of one piece. The genus they belong to is Haliotis, which means “sea ear” and refers to the flattened shape of the shell.

abaloneshellDescription:

Pintos are the smallest abalones and they are commonly about 4 inches long, however the biggest individuals can grow as big as 6 inches long (12 cm). The shell is oval or rounded with a large dome towards one end; it is also irregularly mottled and narrow. The colour of the shell exterior is mottled greenish brown with scattered white and blue. The shell has a row of respiratory pores through which the abalone takes in water and filters dissolved oxygen from the surrounding water with its gills. Water that passes through the body leaves through the respiratory holes carrying away waster from the digestive system. Pinto abalones have from 3 to 6 open holes in their shells. The shape of these respiratory holes is oval and they are raised. The colour of the pinto abalones’ epipodium is mottled greenish tan or brown. The tentacles are thin and the colour of them can vary from yellowish brown to green. Abalones’ muscular foot has a strong suction power that permits the abalone to clamp tightly to rocky surfaces.

Habitat:

Pinto abalones have definite preferences in locations and habits. Pinto abalones range from Sit ka, Alaska to Monterey, California. The only member of the genus is likely to be found in the Puget Sound region., on the open coast of Vancouver Island and Washington. Farther south pinto abalones become strictly sub tidal. Pinto abalones can be found clinging to rocks in kelp beds along open coastal environments that have a good water circulation. Their habitat is between the low inter tidal zone and sub tidally down to 70 feet (18 meters depth).

Life cycle:

The life cycle of an abalone begins from an egg. Abalone female releases millions of eggs, but only about 1% (or even less) of the offspring survive the many challenges they have to face before maturity. The eggs turn into a free living larva and then after drifting with the currents about a week the abalone larva settles to the bottom and begins to develop the adult shell form.

Predators:

Abalone have many predators. They get eaten by other animals (crabs, lobsters, octopuses, starfish, fish and snails) and crushed to the rocks by strong waves. The sea otter was traditionally one of the most significant predators of abalones, although they have not yet moved into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, from the re-introduction several years ago to northern Vancouver Island.

Nutrition:

Pinto abalones, as all abalones, are herbivores. They use their large, rough radulas (“tongues”) to scrape pieces of algae and other plant material from the rock surfaces. The adult abalone feeds on loose pieces of algae drifting in water. Abalones prefer large brown algae; mainly different kind of kelps and seaweed. The colour banding on many abalone shells is caused by the changes in the type of algae that the abalone has eaten.

Threats:

Pinto abalones used to be subject to sports and commercial fishery . They suffered from over harvesting and habitat loss and poaching. There is now a permanent closure on all abalone fishing on the B.C. Coast. For the Pacific North West Coast First Nations People, the beautiful shells of abalone were used for jewelry and abalone also were a seafood delicacy. They occur sub tidally and only in remote areas.

See the Abalone measurement and statistics exercise at RaceRocks:
http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/research/abalone/abalonemeas.htm

See our abalone exercise for middle school.

References Cited:

Kozloff, Eugene N., Marine Invertebrates of the Pacific Northwest, University of Washington Press, Seattle and London, 1996.

Kozloff, Eugene N., Seashore life of the Northern Pacific Coast, University of Washington Press, Seattle and London, 1996.

Meglitsch, Paul A., Invertebrate Zoology; second edition, Oxford University Press, 1972.

Snively, Gloria, Exploring the Seashore in British Columbia, Washington and Oregon, Gordon Soules Book Publishers Ltd., Vancouver/London, 1981.

http://www.pacificbio.org/ESIN/OtherInvertebrates/NorthernAbalone/NorthernAbalone_pg.html ( available at this URL in 20101)

http://www.sonic.net/~tomgray/describe.html

Other Members of the Phylum Mollusca at Race Rocks.

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams. Salla Vornanen, PC yr 27

 

Haematopus bachmani: Black Oystercatcher–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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2bloy

Black Oystercatcher, Haematopus bachmani photo by Ryan Murphy

Usually up to 6 pairs of the Black Oystercatcher, Haematopus bachmani nest at Race Rocks . They are also winter residents on the island, with numbers up to 100 individuals at times .

This link will connect you with the log showing the many
entries referring to Haematopus bachmani at Race Rocks.

ryansseton -Black oystercatcher

 

See  Ryan Murphy’s Flickr site for excellent images he took while he was ecoguardian at Race Rocks- 2009-2011

 

bloynest3mAn Oystercatcher nest demonstrates the fine art of camouflage
Classification:
Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrate
Class Aves
Subclass Neornithes
Superorder Neognathae
Order Charadriiformes
Suborder Charadrii
Family Haematopodidae
Genus Haematopus
Species bachmani
Common Name :
Black Oystercatcher

Images for this slide show of mating Black oystercatchers were taken on the remote camera 5 by PB. May 29, 2006

This video of the black oystercatcher on the nest in June 2007 was screen-captured from camera 2 which was placed two metres from the nest for the duration of incubation.

June 24, 2007: Hatching day! By the end of the day three chicks are active. This video by Garry Fletcher is a compilation of events throughout the day.

BLOYJune8 -hatch
Link to this post from June 22, 2008 for the hatch of Black Oystercatchers near the boathouse captured from a live webcast on a video camera.

blkoybehav1sSee this video on Black Oystercatcher Behaviour

 

 

 

This post in 2024 has great photos of the chicks of BLOYs

For an interesting article on precocial birds such as these oystercatchers see this link.

The black oyster catcher is a jet black bird with a long red beak and pink legs. They grow to 43-44 cm, relatively large for shorebirds. The male and female adult birds are alike in appearance, but juveniles are dull brown. Race Rocks is home to at least six pairs during early May. The birds leave in early fall and return in later December, in numbers up to 30. In the Race Rocks Christmas bird counts numbers as high as 64 in 1997 have been recorded.

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
64 17 1 25 16 39 storm 16 35 22 0 storm
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
57 32 60 36 30 3 40 — — — — —

The birds often use distracting displays, pretending to have a broken wing or surprising other birds that invade their nests, but are otherwise non-territorial. Both parents incubate two or three eggs on average, and mates may stay together for several years. Locally, since there are no oysters, the bird is not so aptly named, but it does prey upon a variety of intertidal shellfish, including limpets, chitons and various snails. Birds of the same family occupying the same ecological niche are found throughout the shorelines of the world.
Their long, chisel-like beak is perfect for prying the shells open to feed on the soft flesh inside. The skull to the left was the product of predation by a river otter in 2001. The presence of the black oyster catcher nesting areas can be noted upon the discovery of piles of empty shells in the nooks and crannies of Race Rocks. Analysis of the different shells found in these piles has been done and it serves as an indicator of shellfish species diversity on the island, as well as the food web of the oystercatchers.

See the results of the Fall 1999 collection of shells from the midden of the oystercatchers.

Also go to the Lab on the Ecological Niche of the Black Oyster-catcher.

see this Video by Paul Omole of a Black Oystercatcher Feeding. –Sounds of Foghorn in the background .
Other Members of the Class Aves at Race Rocks.

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.

This file was originally started by Stewart Maudsley, Dec. 2001.