Category Archives: Species

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)

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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.

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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

Dendronotus diversicolor: coloured dendronotid–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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rm241010dalbusmetandl
This image by Ryan Murphy is rather stunning because it shows the nudibranch in contact with the colonial tunicate Metandrocarpa sp.
The identifying features of Dendronotus diversicolor are the 4 pairs of gills and a white line that goes from the last gill pair to the end of the tail.

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This is a rather unique picture by Ryan Murphy of breeding nudibranchs

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Superfamily: Tritonioidea
Family: Dendronotidae
Genus: Dendronotus
Species: diversicolor
Alder & Hancock, 1845

 

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Dendrotus diversicolor photo by Adam Harding

 

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.  Ryan Murphy

 

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.

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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

Regulus satrapa: Golden-crowned kinglet–The Race Rocks taxonomy

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Raisa Mirza took these photos of the first Golden–crowned kinglet to be identified at Race Rocks on October 12, 2010, This individual has stopped over at Race Rocks on its migration route .This kinglet is widespread throughout North America.

Kendra Luckow took this photo in October 2024

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Sub-Phylum Vertebrata
Class Aves
Order Passeriformes
Family Regulidae
Genus Regulus
Species satrapa
Common Name: Golden-crowned kinglet

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.

Raisa Mirza (PC)

Lumpenus sagitta: Pacific snake prickleback–Race Rocks Taxonomy

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Lumpenus sagitta, pacific snake prickleback captured by Pigeon guillemot

Lumpenus sagitta, Pacific snake prickleback captured by Pigeon guillemot. Photo by Ryan Murphy

Pigeon guillemots dive up to 15 in the channel in front of the jetty metres to get their food, mainly gunnels and pricklebacks. We see them sitting like this for long periods of time before they are sure that no predators are watching them go into their nest burrows

Kingdom Animalia–
Eumetazoa–metazoans
Bilateria —bilaterally symmetrical animals

Dendroica coronata: Audubon’s Yellow-rumped warbler– The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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Raisa Mirza took these photos of the first Audubon’s Yellow-rumped warbler to be identified at Race Rocks on September 18, 2010, It was near the solar panels on the south side of the energy building. This is a female which has stopped over at Race Rocks on her migration route . To the left is an example of the full sized photograph for relative size approximation. This warbler is widespread throughout North America.

Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Sub-Phylum:Vertebrata
Class Aves
Order Passeriformes
Family Parulidae
Genus Dendroica
Species coronata, auduboni group (Linnaeus,1776)
Common Name:Audubon’s Yellow-rumped warbler

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.

 September 2010- Raisa Mirza (PC)

Passerella iliaca: Fox Sparrow

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Raisa Mirza took these photos of the first Fox Sparrow to be identified at Race Rocks on September 18, 2010, Six subspecies are usually recognized in the Sooty Fox Sparrow complex, ranging from unalaschensis in the Aleutians to fuliginosa in extreme northwestern Washington:

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Sub-Phylum Vertebrata
Class Aves
Order Passeriformes
Family Emberizidae
Genus Passerella
Species iliaca unalaschcensis group (Gmelin, 1789)
Common Name: Fox Sparrow

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.

 Raisa Mirza (PC)