Category Archives: Invertebrate

Geitidoris heathi : (Heath’s dorid)– The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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Geitidoris heathi (Heath’s dorid) photo by Rayn Murphy

Geitidoris heathi (Heath’s dorid) Photo by Ryan Murphy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Opisthobranchia
Suborder: Nudibranchia
Superfamily: Doridoidea
Family: Discodorididae
Genus: Geitodoris
Species: G. heathi
Geitodoris heathi (MacFarland, 1905)
Synonyms Discodoris heathi

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.  Oct 2010 , by Ryan Murphy

 

Aldisa tara : The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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rmaldisatara

Aldisa tara photo by Ryan Murphy

 

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Nudibranchia
Suborder: Doridina
Superfamily: Doridoidea
Family: Cadlinidae
Genus: Aldisa
Species:
A. tara
Binomial name
Aldisa tara

Millen, 1984

Tentative identification only.. This is a fairly rare nudibranch, only named recently.

Other molluscs 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.

Ryan Murphy, 2010

Synoicum parfustis: peach-coloured compound tunicate–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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Photo by Ryan Murphy

Photo by Ryan Murphy

The small dark spots embedded in the matrix of this Synoicum parfustis are living commensal organisms: the compound tunicate amphipod, Polycheria osborni. This amphipod lives in various compound tunicates.

 

Other Members of the Subphylum Urochordata 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.

October 2015 (PC)

Hermissenda crassicornis: Opalescent sea slug–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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rmhermissendacrassicornis3

Hermissenda crassicornis
Photo by Ryan Murphy

Ryan Murphy took these three photos of Hermissenda crassicornis, the opalescent-sea-slug while diving at Race Rocks. Note the bright stripe on the forehead between the sensory rhinophores.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Superfamily: Aeolidioidea
Family: Facelinidae
Genus: Hermissenda
Species: H. crassicornis
Hermissenda crassicornis Eschscholtz, 1831Return to the Race Rocks Taxonomy Index and gallery

This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by the students, faculty, volunteers and staff of Lester B. Pearson College– Oct 2010 , by Ryan Murphy

Terebellid– unidentified sp. –Race Rocks taxonomy

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(They aren’t always what they first appear to be)

rmaug10longfingunl

In this photo by Ryan Murphy, the long thin, almost transparent ribbon, possibly a tentacle of a terebellid worm is shown along with a Pholus sp. gunnel and the siphons of a mollusc.

 

What we initially believed was a ribbon worm has been identified as a feeding tentacle!

We received this from Leslie Harris” I’m also pretty sure that the ribbon worm is really a terebellid feeding tentacle.  There appears to be a groove running the length of the tentacle and packets of detritus being carried in the groove back to the mouth. ”

In the following image, the tangle of tentacles are also from one of the Terebellidae.

rmaug10tentacl

Tentacles of terebellid worm. Photo by Ryan Murphy

Kingdom Animalia–animals
Classification from Animal Diversity Web: See other Annelids from Race Rocks:

Return to the Race Rocks Taxonomy Index
 The Taxonomy files are the result of collaboration between students, faculty, staff and Volunteers of Lester Pearson College— Garry Fletcher, 2010

Family Eunicidae: unidentified– The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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We are currently trying to identify this polychaete worm. The image was taken underwater at Race Rocks by Ryan Murphy, 2010.

rmannelid1

unidentified annelid Photo by Ryan Murphy

In a comment from Sheila Byers “I like the suggestion of a long, thin Oenonid or Lumbrinerid but I think I am seeing some gill structures over the dorsum of the anterior even though I am not seeing pronounced antennae or palps on the head – possibly an Eunicidae?”

Classification by Animal Diversity Web
View our other examples of Annelids at  Race Rocks
Return to the Race Rocks Taxonomy Index

The Taxonomy files are the result of collaboration between students, faculty, staff and Volunteers of Lester Pearson College— Garry Fletcher

Bugula californica: Spiral Bryozoan- Race Rocks Taxonomy

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bryozoa

Photo by Dr. Anita Brinckmann-Voss

This species is classified in The Lophophorate Phyla of British Columbia: Entoprocts,Bryozoans,Phoronids and Brachiopods by Aaron Baldwin School of Fisheries, U. of Alaska.

We see this bryozoan frequently in the lower intertidal while diving at Race Rocks in 8-12 metres of water.

“Each colony is hte result of budding or cloning from the original individual itself having developed from a planktonic larvae that settled … In the case of this species, the process is programmed as a spiral growth pattern. From ” Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest, Andy Lamb and Bernard P. Hanby ,2005,

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Bryozoa
Class Gymnolaemata
Order Cheilostomata
Suborder Anasca
Family Bugulidae
Genus Bulgula
Species californica Robertson,1905
Common Name: Spiral bryozoan
 
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.

Stylasterias forreri: Fish-eating star or Velcro seastar–The Race Rocks taxonomy

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This photo taken by Andrew McCurdy in August 2010 is from West Race Rocks around 40ft depth. It is not a very common sea star out there..

From Wikipedia: The velcro star feeds on invertebrates such as gastropod molluscs and chitons. When alert to movement in the water nearby, the rings of pedicellariae are extended, ready for action. If anything touches its aboral (upper) surface, the starfish reacts by snapping shut the pedicellariae in the vicinity of the stimulus. By this means it can catch prey items such as small fish.[3] The victim is passed to the mouth by movements of the arms and by actions of the tube feet. The velcro star can also defend itself against attack by predators such as the voracious morning sun star (Solaster dawsoni).[3] To fight back, it coils its arms around the attacker and inflicts thousands of nips with its pedicellariae. The attacker often retreats and the velcro star escapes.[3]

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Echinodermata
Class Asteroidea
Order Forcipulatida
Family Curculionoidea
Genus Stylasterias
Species forreri ( de Loriol, 1887)
Common Name: Fish-eating star or Velc

Other Members of the Phylum Echinodermata 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. — Andrew McCurdy 2010

Pugettia producta: Kelp Crab –The Race Rocks taxonomy

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This is a very common crab subtidally at Race Rocks, frequently seen dangling from kelp as it reaches wide with its pincers for catching prey

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Class Malacostraca
Order Decapoda
Family Epialtidaae
Genus Pugettia
Species producta

Common Name:Kellp Crab

Other Members of the Phylum Arthropoda 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.

Garry Fletcher

Didemnum carnulentum: The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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Photo of Didemnum sp.(white colony)  was taken at Race Rocks by Dr. Armin Svoboda. We had taken  Dr Svoboda to Race Rocks at the request of Dr.Anita Brinckmann-Voss. He shared many of his excellent phots with us afterwards

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordate
SubphylumTunicata
Class: Ascidiacea
Order: Aplousobranchia
Family: Didemnidae
Genus Didemnum
Species carnulentum
Common Name: ascidian

Reference : Bacteria in Didemnia Produce Anti-cancer compounds

SALT LAKE CITY, May 9 (UPI) — U.S. scientists said they have discovered a microbe found inside sea squirts produces a compound that has anti-cancer properties.

UV light absorbing Tunic Cells in Ascidian

Other Members of the subphylum Urochordata  at Race Rockstaxonomyicon

Return 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.