Category Archives: Species

Phalacrocorax penicilatu: Brandt’s Cormorant–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Posted on by
Brant's cormorants

Brant’s cormorants:  Phalacrocorax penicilatu -photo by Alex Fletcher

This cormorant is numerous in the winter, with much of the British Columbia population present at that time, as it is a relatively rare bird. In 1987 a survey that reported 3 nests was done on 15 July by Wayne Campbell and was reported in: Campbell, R.W., and Preston, M. 1988. British Columbia nest records scheme. Thirty-first and thirty-second annual report 1986-1987. British Columbia Naturalist 26:12-13.

Here are the links to the Christmas Bird Counts.

In 2014 and for several years previous, there have been no cormorants nesting at Race Rocks.  The only still-thriving colonies are at Mandarte Island.

This is a  Blue-listed species in BC. This list includes species not immediately threatened, but of concern because of characteristics that make them particularly sensitive to human activities or natural events.

Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Sub-Phylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Pelcaniformes
Family: Phalacrocoracidae
Genus: Phalacrocorax
Species: penicilatu
Common Name: Brandt’s cormorant
other Brandt’s Cormorant posts 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

 

Arctonoe pulchra : The red commensal scale worm–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Posted on by
rmscaleworm011-11-18 at 5.00.26 PM

Arctonoe pulchra Photo by Ryan Murphy

rmscaleworm2012-03-26 at 11.39.25 AM

Scaleworm in the arms of a sea star

We frequently see the red commensal Scale worms on the ventral surface of sea cucumbers, and sea stars.

Kingdom Animalia (animals)
Eumetazoa (metazoans)
Protostomia protostomes
Lophotrochozoa
Trochozoa
Annelida (segmented worms)
Class Polychaeta
OrderAciculata
Family Polynoidae
Genus Arctonoe
Species Arctonoe pulchra

Common name: Red commensal Scale worm
Classification from: Animal Diversity Web

 

This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by the students, faculty, staff and volunteers of Lester B. Pearson College
 2006: Garry Fletcher

Melospiza melodia: Song Sparrow

Aside

Song Sparrow in October, 2007 at Race Rocks. (Photo by David Sacks.)

Song Sparrow from the remote cam 5 (image by Pam Birley March 06)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Song Sparrows are winter visitors to Race Rocks. See the Christmas Bird Count File for other records.

1997 0 1999 0 2001 0 2003 na 2005 1
1998 4 2000 0 2002 3 2004 3 2006 na

On the Ecoreserves.bc.ca website , there are several posts about Song Sparrows. They have been the subject of research on other Ecological reserve Islands in BC.

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Sub-Phylum Vertebrata
Class Aves
Order Passerifomes
Family Passeridae
Genus Melospizia
Species melodia
Common Name: Song 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.

Garry Fletcher 2006

Megaptera novaeangliae: Humpback Whale– The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Posted on by

humpback at RROur most recent pictures are included in the post in the log:
Humpback whales in the ecological reserve:

See all the posts on Observations of Humpback Whales at Race Rocks
Ecological Reserve.

 
Raisa has several pictures on her Flickr site of humpbacks that came by in 2010. See also this page On Thursday Oct 5, 2006 Kohei, (PC year 33) took these two pictures at the mouth of Pedder Bay .. ..while on the trip back from Diving at Race Rocks.William Head is in the background. A picture of a humpback whale in Race Passage taken from Race Rocks in 2004.
x
The whale had also been photographed by Pam Birley of England using the remote control cam 5 from Race Rocks. These three pictures are from that sighting. You can see Victoria in the distance in this image. 03/10/06 0930

Sounds of Humpback whales from John Ford’s website:
Humpback Whale Feeding Calls:
Humpback Whale Song recording

CLASSIFICATION
Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Subclass Eutherias
Order Cetacea
Sub-order Mysiceti
Family Balaenoopteridae
Genus Megaptera
Species novaeangliae
Common Name: Hump-backed Whale (Borowski,1781)

Cribriopsis fernaldi: Crimson anemone–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Posted on by
cribrinopsis

This Cribrinopsis is one of the many anemones growing in the heavy current channels at Race Rocks. Photo by Dr.A.Svoboda

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Anthozoa
Subclass Hexacorallia
Order Actiniaria
Family Actiniidiae
Genus Cribrinopsis
Species fernaldi, (Siebert &Spaulding,1976)
Common Name: Crimson Anemone

It is worthy of note that this species went unnamed until just a few years ago. A.E. Siebert and J.G. Spaulding published in the Biological Bulletin 150: 128-138. ( February 1976)
The Taxonomy, Development and Brooding Behaviour of the Anemone, Cribrinopsis Fernaldi, Sp.nov.

“Cribrinopsis fernaldi is described as a new species of sea anemone from the San Juan Archipelago, Washington. This species is distinguished from the other members of the genus by the presence of approximately 96 tentacles and 96 pairs of mesenteries arranged hexamerously. The cnidom is distinctive and consists of spirocysts, basitrichs, microbasic p-mastigophores, and atrichs.
During March, freshly collected specimens of C. fernaldi spawned in the laboratory. The female anemones retained their eggs in the gastrovascular cavity and fertilization occurred internally. The embryos developed in the cavities of the tentacles and pseudospherules.
Some embryos were removed from the tentacles of the adult on day 1 (early cleavage), and day 7, day 13 (planula), and day 34. These continued their development and metamorphosed and settled at the same time as the larvae which remained in the adult until natural release. It is concluded that the brooding behavior is protective rather than nutritive in function.”

This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by the students, faculty, staff and volunteers of Lester B. Pearson College
 Date:
2006		  Garry Fletcher

Eremophila alpestris: Horned lark–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Posted on by

Horned Lark (Images by Marie O’Shaunessy Sept 19 2006)

 

This horned lark was on its migration route. It has stopped to feed in the area before continuing across the Strait of Juan de Fuca

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Sub-PhylumVertebrata
Class Aves
Order Passerifomes
Family Alaudidae
Genus Eremophila
Species alpestris
Common Name:Horned Lark

Urticina grebelnyi: Painted Anemone–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Posted on by
tealia-1

Ryan Murphy photo of this species.

In this video, the soft pink coral Gersemia rubiformis is highlighted. It grows at 7-10 meters over a 3 square meter area off peg #3. Other organisms shown in association in the same area are: Anemone- (both Tealia and Epiactis), hydroids, sponges and colonial ascidians .
Urticina grebelnyi
Painted Anemone
Urticina grebelnyi has previously been called ” Tealia” anemone. They are one of the most abundant large anemone at Race Rocks in the subtidal area. They use their nematocysts expelled from their stout tentacles for the immobilization of small fish, crustaceans such as krill and anything organic that drifts their way. Pieces of dead fish have been seen clinging to the tentacles. They are believed to live a very long time, as long as they are in an area well supplied with food by the current.

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Anthozoa
Genus Utricina
Species grebelnyi 
Common Name  Painted Anemone

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 2006
Garry Fletcher

 

Squalus acanthias: The Spiny Dogfish–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Posted on by

Dogfish are not usually seen by divers but they occur in the waters around Race Rocks. They are often caught by fishermen and released . The captured one above is the first one recorded for the reserve.gullshark1
In June of 2007 this set of photos was taken by PB of a seagull eating a live baby dogfish. The whole shark was eventually swallowed.

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Elasmobranchii
Order Squaliformes
Family
 Squalidae
Genus Squalus
Species acanthias
Common Name: Spiny Dogfish
This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by the students, Volunteers and staff of
Lester B. Pearson College,  2006  Pam Birley

 

Charadrius vociferus: Killdeer- The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Posted on by

Killdeer are migratory visitors to Rave Rocks Ecological Reserve. Their calls are often heard at nigth in the spring

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Sub-Phylum Vertebrata
Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes
Family Charadriidae
Subfamily Charadriinae
Genus Charadrius
Species vociferus
Common Name: Killdeer

reference link: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Killdeer_dtl.html

Other Members of the Class Aves at Race Rocks.

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
April 2009 Garry Fletcher

Lepeophtheirus.sp: Sea Louse–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Posted on by
parasite

Close up of parasitic sea lice on the head of a ling cod. Photos  by Dr. Armand Svoboda

lepeophtherius sp.

Lepeophtheirus.sp: Sea Louse-on the head of a ling cod — photo by Dr. A. Svoboda

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Suphylum Crustacea
Class Maxillopoda
Order Siphonostomatoida
Family Caliguidae
Genus Lepeophtheirus
Species sp.
Common Name: Parasitic copepod

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