Category Archives: Invertebrate

Ectopleura marina : The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Posted on by

 

ah30810ectopleura

This close-up of an Ectopleura marina was photographed by Adam Harding at West Race Rocks around 60-70ft– 23/08/10

 

The three pictures above of Ectopleura were taken by Ryan Murphy in September 2010.

Physical Description: The Ectopleura marina are in polyp form. Polyps are cylindrical, with one end attached and the other free with tentacles and a mouth for feeding. The polyp stems are usually 2 – 5 cm long, with 18 tentacles in two whorls around the mouth, and 22 – 26 tentacles away from the mouth. Unlike their close relative, Ectopleura marina are solitary, or in groups of well-spaced individuals. Feeding polyps are pink, hence their common name pink-mouth hydroid. Global Distribution: The Ectopleura marina is found on the western coast of North America. Habitat: Ectopleura marina have been found on rocks in low intertidal and subtidal zones where there is fast flowing current. They are fairly common on exposed or semi-protected rocky shores, and are also found on floats.
Feeding: When starved for one or two days, polyps will eat active copepods, whereas when well-fed, polyps do not feed or respond to active prey. The polyps catch and stun their prey in their whorl of tentacles. They eat small crustaceans, larvae, chaetognaths, and annelid worms. When developing, polyps feed on eggs of various other invertebrates, plankton, and fish larvae.

Predators: No information on predators has been found, however the tentacles of hydroids contain poisons (nematocysts) that are a good defense against predators.Reproduction: Each colony of hydroids is usually of a single sex, although some hermaphrodites have been found. Medusa buds are produced in clusters which are attached between the two whorls of tentacles on the polyp. These medusoids develop 3 – 5 and do not come free, but rather stay small and attached until gametes develop, and usually die soon after. Sperm is shed into the water, but eggs stay in the medosoids and are not released until they have developed into larvae, which resemble the feeding polyps.

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Hydrozoa
Order Hydroida
Family Tubulariidae
Genus Ectopleura
Species marina
Common Name: pink mouth hydroid

see this link for other hydroids:  https://www.racerocks.ca/tag/hydroid/

Interesting Fact: Ectopleura marina was formerly known as Tubularia marina. It also belongs to one of the most primitive and most diverse groups of multicellular organisms. References: “Hydrozoa.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia Encyclopedia. 12 Nov. 2005 Kozloff, Eugene N. Marine Invertebrates of the Pacific Northewest. Seattle: University of Washington P, 1996. Morris, R H., D P. Abbott, and E C. Haderlie. Intertidal Invertebrates of California. California: Stanford UP, 1980. “Phylum Cnidaria.” BC Marine Life Cnidaria. 13 Nov. 2005 <http://www.elasmodiver.com/BCMarinelife/BCML%20cnidaria.htm>. Strathmann, Megumi F. Reproduction and Development of Marine Invertebrates of North Pacific Coast. Seattle: Washington UP, 1987.
This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by the students, volunteers,faculty and staff of Lester B. Pearson College–Grace Ho, 2005

Eudendrium sp. : Race Rocks Taxonomy — Photomicrography of Dr. Anita Brinckmann-Voss

Posted on by
Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Hydrozoa
Order Anthoathecatae
Family Eudendriidae
Genus Eudendrium
Species sp.
Common Name:

This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by Lester B. Pearson College and local scientists. Copyrighted 1999-All Images on this page are the property of:Dr. Anita Brinckmann- Voss..They can not be used or modified without her written permission. See this link for other hydroids:  https://www.racerocks.ca/tag/hydroid/

Symplectoscyphus turgidus : Race Rocks Taxonomy Photomicrography of Dr. Anita Brinckmann-Voss

Posted on by

Symplectoscyphus turgidus (Trask, 1851), (Hydrozoa, Leptothecatae, Sertulariidae. d: colony; e: single hydranth enlarged without medusa buds. A common subtidal species, occasionally intertidal species. Note rectangular diatoms attached to the thecae of the colony (upper right hand corner of each picture)

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Hydrozoa
Class Leptothecatae
Family Setulariidae
Genus Symplectoscyphus
Species turgidus (Trask, 1851),

This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by Lester B. Pearson College and local scientists. Copyrighted 1999–All Images on this page are the property of: Dr. Anita Brinckmann-Voss.. They can not be used or modified without her written permission.

Sertularia sp. :Race Rocks Taxonomy: Photomicrography of Dr. Anita Brinckmann-Voss

Posted on by

Stem up to 20 cm long, with the colony having the appearance of a thin bottlebrush. It is found in the same location as Tubularia regalis, the floor of the cave at Swordfish island – near Race Rocks.

 

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Hydrozoa
Order Leptothecata (=Leptomedusae)
Family Sertulariidae
Genus Sertularia
Species sp.
Common Name:

This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by Lester B. Pearson College and local scientists. Copyrighted 1999-All Images on this page are the property of:Dr. Anita Brinckmann- Voss..They can not be used or modified without her written permission.

see this link for other hydroids:  https://www.racerocks.ca/tag/hydroid/

Aglaophenia latirostris: Photomicrography of Dr. Anita Brinckmann-Voss

Posted on by

Aglaophenia latirostris . This featherlike hydroid is common, mostly subtidal , RaceRocks and Swordfish Island. Natural size to 5 cm.4aglaophenia

aglao-1

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Hydrozoa
Order Leptothecata (=Leptomedusae)
Family Aglaopheniidae
Genus Aglaophenia
Species latirostris (Nutting, 1900)
Common Name:

This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by Lester B. Pearson College and local scientists. Copyrighted 1999-All Images on this page are the property of Dr. Anita Brinckmann- Voss..They can not be used or modified without her written permission.
see this link for other hydroids:  https://www.racerocks.ca/tag/hydroid/

Aglaophenia inconspicua : Photomicrography of Dr. Anita Brinckmann-Voss

Posted on by

Aglaophenia inconspicua (?) (Hydrozoa , Leptothecatae, Aglaopheniidae)

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Hydrozoa
Order Leptothecata (=Leptomedusae)
Family Aglaopheniidae
Genus Aglaophenia
Species inconspicua (Torrey, 1902)
Common Name:

This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by Lester B. Pearson College and local scientists. Copyrighted 1999: All Images on this page are the property of: Dr. Anita Brinckmann-Voss..They can not be used or modified without her written permission.

see this link for other hydroids:  https://www.racerocks.ca/tag/hydroid/

Campanularia sp. : Photomicrography of Dr. Anita Brinckmann-Voss-The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Posted on by

Campanularia sp. (Hydrozoa, Leptothecatae, Campanulariidae) Race Rocks, low intertidal.

61_05campanularia_sp_abieti

 

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Hydrozoa
Order Leptothecata (=Leptomedusae)
Family Campanularidae
Genus Campanularia
Species sp.
Common Name:

This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by Lester B. Pearson College and local scientists. Copyrighted 1999-All Images on this page are the property of: Dr. Anita Brinckmann- Voss..They can not be used or modified without her written permission.

see this link for other hydroids:  https://www.racerocks.ca/tag/hydroid/

Research paper indicating possible medicinal properties: accessed July, 2014

4-Hydroxybenzoyl Derivative from the Aqueous Extract of the Hydroid Campanularia sp.

Marine Natural Products Laboratory, Chemistry Department, Aberdeen University, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, Scotland, U.K.
J. Nat. Prod., 2005, 68 (3), pp 453–455
DOI: 10.1021/np049666n
Publication Date (Web): February 26, 2005
Copyright © 2005 American Chemical Society and American Society of Pharmacognosy

A new compound, N-(4-guanidinobutyl)-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-oxo-acetamide (1) was isolated from the aqueous extract of the hydroid Campanularia sp. Its structure was elucidated using NMR spectroscopic techniques and mass spectrometric analysis. The most stable conformation was determined using molecular modeling and the results of a NOESY experiment. Although compound 1 shows structural similarities to some highly potent histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi), e.g., suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) (2) and trichostatin A (TSA) (3), it does not inhibit the growth of ARP-1 cells at 100 μM concentration, a significant indication that it has no inhibitory activity to HDACs.

molformula

Euphysa flammea : The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Posted on by

Indentification
1. The Bell is anywhere up to 12mm tall with 4 radial canals
2. Usually have 4 rounded tentacle bulbs with 1-4 tentacles (may be different lengths); without occelli
3. Tubular manubrium
4. Gonad completely encircles manubrium.
Bell transparent
manubrium, tentacle bulbs and tentacles often have a scarlet pigment, but may be white, yellow, or orangeish.
Natural History:
Seen nearly any month of the year, but it is uncommon in many localities such as Race Rocks. There are several present along the west coast, in both shallow and deep water. The first sighting of this species was made by student divers from Pearson College in June 2002. This has been the only sighting and it remains uncommon in the vicinity of Race Rocks. it was sighted in the summer along the sea floor in relatively shallow water. Although an immediate identification was not made, but identified later on by Dr. Anita Brinckman Voss.
Range: California to the Bering Sea, sighted at Race Rocks

Classification:

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Hydrozoa
Subclass Hydromedusae
Order Anthomedusae
Family Euphsidae
Genus Euphysa
Species Euphysa flammea
Common Name: none

References: “Pacific Coast Pelagic Invertebrates” by David Wrobel and Claudia Mills

This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by the students, faculty,staff and volunteers  of Lester B. Pearson College Dec. 2002 Adrian Thorogood (PC yr29)

Chlamys hastata: Swimming scallop

Posted on by
ah052010scallop

This image of the scallop with very bright eyes was taken by Adam Harding on a dive in June 2010

The swimming scallop is closely related to clams, oysters and cockles. Unlike some of its relatives, the swimming scallop is not sessile. The ribs of the swimming scallop are rendered rasplike by the presence of curved spines. The shell can grow up to 5 – 6 cm in height. They have beautiful, green iridescent and almost luminous eyes called ocelli that are found around the edge of the mantle in both valves. The ocelli are sensitive to light intensity and are rather complicated but do not form images. They also have sensitive tentacles that project out of the edge of the mantle.

They are usually found in subtidal areas and sometimes in shallow water. They live at depths ranging from 2 – 150 m.

Swimming scallops normally lie with their right valves against the substratum, and they may be attached periodically when they are younger by means of a byssus, a fine elastic fibre as in that secreted by mussels. Scallops are free spawning organisms. Reproduction is done through the release of sperm by males and eggs by females into the water.

Swimming scallops are filter feeders. They feed with the shell agape as it the picture above.They process water, using their ctenidia (or gills) to collect microscopic food and Oxygen from the water.

Sometimes spontaneously, and just about always when menaced by a predator, such as certain sea stars (Pisaster and Pycnopodia). They swim by a sort of jet propulsion, clapping the valves together and forcing water out through openings on both sides of the hinge. This shows in the video when the Pycnopodia is brought close to the scallop. The scallop senses the pycnopodia by a chemical sensor. The swimming scallop also swims away when there is a change in environmental conditions.

Swimming scallops are usually colonized by sponges, mostly on the left valve, that form thick coatings. The sponges provide camouflage for the scallop as well as defense against predators. The sponge’s porous nature hinders potential predators, such as sea stars from getting a good grip on the scallop, and they may also provide a repulsive chemical odor. This shows biological mutualism, where both organisms benefit in the symbiosis.

References:

Kozloff, E. N. Seashore Life of the Northern Pacific Coast .4th Edition (1996). University of Washington Press. 539 pages.

Kozloff, E. N. Marine Invertebrates of the Pacific Northwest. (1996). University of Washington Press. 370 pages.

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Bivalvia
Order Ostreoida
Sub Order Pectinina
Family Pectinidae
Genus Chlamys
Species hastata
Common Name: Swimming Scallop

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.

Victoriano de Jesus PC year 28

 

Ophlitaspongia pennata: velvety red sponge–The Race Rocks taxonomy

Posted on by

The red sponge, Ophlitaspongia pennata and the nudibranch Rostanga sp. were found at a low tide in the late evening in November near the end of the docks, just beside the slipway at Race Rocks. These images are from the video below.

 

There are likely to be several types of encrusting red sponges growing in narrow crevices and on the undersides of overhanging ledges. Indeed, there are about ten intertidal species of red to orange encrusting sponges along the Pacific coast. Ophlitaspongia pennata is a beautifully coral-red form characterized, especially after drying, by starry oscula; its surface is velvety. De Laubenfels (1932) remarked that it occurs clear up to the half-tide mark (higher up than any other sponge), especially on vertical rocks under pendant seaweed, hence shaded from direct sunlight. Ophlitaspongia pennata is recorded from (Vancouver Island), British Columbia, to near Puertocitos, Baja California.

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Porifera
Class Demospongiae
Order Poecilosclerida
Family Clathriidae
Subclass Ceractinomorpha
Genus Ophlitaspongia
Species pennata
Common Name Velvety Red Sponge/ Red Midtide Sponge

This type of Red Sponge can be colored bright red to almost a dull orange-red. It has a smooth and tough surface. It has holes scattered around on it: the holes are about 2 millimeters wide. Its predators are nudibranchs, snails and seastars. They feed on shrimp, crabs and many other organisms.These tiny flat red to orange colored sponges encrust vertically on rocks shaded from sunlight.Biotic Associations: Often found with a predator, Rostanga pulchra

This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by the students, faculty, staff and volunteers of Lester B. Pearson College February 2002 Sarah  MonsalveR.
Colombia PC Yr 28

Link to other sponge species from Race Rocks

Link to the Race Rocks Taxonomy and Image Gallery