Category Archives: Species

Ligia pallasii: Sea Slater –The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Posted on by

video of sampling of populations of Ligia sp

 

During the Johan Ashuvud project 2004, students explored the intertidal with Garry. They examined various organisms as well as the artificial tidepool.

In this video, we also get a chance to meet all the students taking part in the project

The central part of this video has a section on Ligia sp.

Sexual dimorphism in body proportions is marked in L.pallasii. Males, with their large, laterally expanded ephemeral plates, have a length/width ratio of about 1.6; females and immature males are narrower, with a corresponding ratio of about 2.1. Half- moulted males are occasionally found in which the rear half of the body has moulted and is abruptly significantly wider than as yet unmoulted front half, an odd sight, usually several days after the posterior moult.On the walls of cliffs and sea caves, the larger and broader males often cover and shield the females and juveniles.

L.Pallassi prefers sea cliffs. At Race Rocks, the loose upper intertidal rocks and crevasses on the Western side of the main island provide ideal habitat. There are differences in the osmoregulatory responses shown by these species associated with their behavior and ecology.The slower -moving pallasii lives permanently in cool, moist habitats characterized by fluctuating hypo-saline condition. L.Pallasii are air breathers with gill-like pleopods not equipped with tracheal trees.The respiratory pleopods must be kept moist to function properly.This is done by immersion or by dipping the tail in water in such away that the uropods serve as capillary siphons.

Ligia species are fed upon by birds, especially gulls, and by the intertidal crab. Life span of L.pallasii is 1.5 to 2 years , with breeding occurring in spring and early summer, and the average brood size is 48 plus or minus 11 young.The overall sex ratio is 1:1.

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum or Division Arthropods
Class Crustacea (crustaceans)
Order Isopoda
Family Ligiidae
Genus Ligia
Species pallasii
COMMON NAME:sea slater

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 2005- Palwasha Hussain Khel

 

Ophiothrix spiculata: Brittle star–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Posted on by

Ophiothrix spiculata is a common species among algal holdfasts at Race Rocks. Its arm’s spines are especially long, and each one has a number of small thorns on it. the color is extremely variable but it is generally reddish brown, there may be some orange on the disk, too. in spite of all the color variation, this species is unmistakable because of its thorny spines.

Two sets of video on brittle stars are seen here. They were observed off the docks at Race Rocks in about 10 meters of water. Note the other organisms that live in the area also.

 

This brittle star is lives on the rocky sea floor, from shallow waters to great depths. Brittle stars are related to sea stars. These marine invertebrates move very slowly along the sea bed. More than 2000 species of brittle stars exist in the world.
It has long, thin, spiny arms that radiate from a flat central disk; the arms do not touch each other at their bases. Many of the arms are forked. If a brittle star’s arm is cut off, it will regenerate.
Usually the central disk in these brittle stars is under 2 cm) in diameter. They have an exoskeleton and vary in color. They do not have a brain; they have a simple ring of nerve cells that moves information around the body. Tube feet located along the arms sense light and smells.

This juvenile brittle star was filmed in the lab by Sylvia Roach using a Digital camera attached to a dissecting microscope at 4X

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Echinodermata
Class Ophiuroidea
Order Ophiurida
Family Ophiodermatidae
Genus Ophiothrix
Species spiculata
COMMON NAME: brittle star

They often gather in large groups and collectively filter food from the circulating water. When roused from a hiding spot their best form of defense is to crawl away-

The projections on the five arms of this brittle star look like many tiny hairs, but are actually spines. That being said, they are gentle, very delicate creatures that do not harm humans. They are nocturnal (feed and move about primarily at night); they stretch out to catch food particles, passing the bits down to the central mouth.
To avoid predation, if a predator catches one of its legs, it has the ability to swim off, leaving that leg behind, and it can regenerate a new one!

Waving arms point out the home of the stars. Those aren’t worms, they’re brittle stars, sea star cousins that hide themselves under rocks and in the holdfasts of kelp, especially in the Pterophyga at Race Rocks.

For comparison with another species, see this image in our ecological equivalents file an image of a large 20cm species from the Galapagos:

 

 

 

Reference Cited:

Eugena N. Kozloff , Seashore Life of the North Pacific Coast

http://www.mbayaq.org/efc/living_species/default.asp?hOri=1&inhab=142

 

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.

 March October 2003-  Rahilla (PC)

Leptasterias hexactis The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Posted on by

The six rayed sea star is found both intertidally and subtidally at Race Rocks. They are one of the smaller sea stars.

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Echinodermata
Class Asteroidea
Order Forcipulatida
Family Asteriidae
Genus Leptasterias
Species  hexactis  (Stimpson,1862)
COMMON NAME: Six- rayed Star
Introduction
Description: Radius 2″ (51 mm), 6-armed ( note the species name hexactis referring to the six arms.). Green, black, brown, or red, sometimes mottled. Disk moderate-sized with 6 fairly broad arms; spines on upper surface dense and mushroom-shaped. rarely do we find these at Race Rocks exceeding 15 cm in length.
Habitat: On rocky shores. We frequently find these when doing intertidal studies or when diving in shallow water at Race Rocks. Range British Columbia to s. California.
Discussion: L. hexactis eats small snails, limpets, mussels, chitons, barnacles, sea cucumbers, and other species, including dead animals. It produces yellow, yolky eggs that stick together in a mass after fertilization. These are brooded under the disk of the female until they hatch as miniature sea stars after 6 to 8 weeks. The small six-rayed sea stars of the West Coast are quite variable and have presented problems of identification. The only other species currently recognized is the Small Slender Sea Star (L. pusilla) which has sharp spines and longer, thinner arms than L. hexactis, and is a light gray-brown or reddish color. It also has a very limited range from San Francisco to Monterey Bay. It reaches a radius of 1″ (25 mm).
Echinoderms have a few important aspects in common. They have bony ossicles in their body. They have a water-vascular system which pumps water through the madroporite. They also have small jaws that are supported by the water-vascular system. And they have tube feet which they use to attach to objects, for protection, as well as to obtain food. They have radial symmetry and most can regenerate lost limbs.

 

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.

 December 2001(PC)

Mediaster aequalis: Vermillion star–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Posted on by

Mediaster in its habitat. Photo by Dr.A..Svoboda

Snail predation

 

Vermillion stars are seen frequently by divers in the 0-15 meter depth at Race Rocks.

 

Information.
Bright red (vermillion in fact) with large plates along its five arms. To 20 cm. Common just below the surface on low tides but hardly ever high and dry. These are abundant subtidally – you may find plenty after storms or extreme tides.

This Vermillion star male was emitting sperm while in the tank at Pearson College in early January 2004 . This went on for more than three hours. Millions of sperm are broadcast into the water where they may have a chance encounter with eggs which are simultaneously released into the current by the females. Of the great numbers of eggs and sperm released only a few are fertilized and actually make it to maturity. This is a good example of
r-selection in the population.

– http://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/1998/jj98neigh.htm

Mediaster aequalis is one of the smaller sea stars ranging in size from three to seven inches. It is found on many types of beaches at very low tides.

– http://www.geocities.com/oscmarinetech/Animals.htm#Vermillion%20Star

The vermillion sea star is common in shallow subtidal waters. Its feeding area stretches to nearly the tip of each arm on the underside. The vermillion star, so named because of its colour can be found from the Alaskan Peninsula, south to southern Caifornia.

Colour: Vermillion aborally, more orange orally; tube feet red to flesh colour.

Habitat: common on rocks shell, sand, gravel, pebbles and mud.

Feeding: diet varies with substrate and season; eats encrustin sponges and bryozoans on ock; seapen.

Reproduction: breeds from March to May; number of eggs in 65mm sea star estimated at 1,800 per year. the eggs measure 1 to 1.2mm and are bright opaqe orange. It is estimated that Vermillion sea stars reach sexual maturity within four years.

Speed: The sea star can move anywhere between 27 and 40 cm per minute.

Reference: The Sea Stars of British Columbia, Lambert, 1981, British Columbia Provincial Museum, Victoria

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.

Dec 2001 Damien Guihen (PC yr 27)

Henricia leviuscula The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Posted on by

 

Blood stars are seen frequently by divers in the 0-15 meter depth at Race Rocks. They are planktonic feeders.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Echinodermata
Class Stelleroidea
Sub Class Asteroidea
Order Spinulosida
Sub Order Leptognathina
Family Echinasteriade
Genus Henricia
Species Leviuscula
Common Name Blood Star

The Blood Star is characterized by its brilliant red or reddish-orange color. Its comparatively small and graceful its body is only 10 to 12 cm from the tip of one ray to the tip of the one across from it. It has an arm radius to 8.9 cm, usually less; its disk is small, its arms are long, tapering, and are usually five in name (sometimes four or six); it has an absent pedicellariae; its aboral surface has a tan to orange-red or purple color., often banded with darker shades, and bearing many groups of short spinlets arranged in a fine network.
Habitat: Common on protected sides of rocks, under rocks, and in caves and pools, more frequently where rock is encrusted with sponges and bryozoans, low intertidal zone, subtidal to over 400 m.

The sea star feeds on bacteria and other tiny particles, which are captured in mucus and swept to the mouth by ciliated tracts. It may also feed by applying the stomach to the surfaces of sponges and bryozoa.

Breeding habits in the sea star vary with size. Smaller females brood their eggs in a depression around the mouth formed by arching the arms. Larger females discharge eggs directly into the water and do not brood them. The sperm have spherical heads and the eggs are orange-yellow and yolky, and development is direct.

REFERENCES CITED:

1. Robert H. Morris, Donald P. Abbott, and Eugene C. Haderlie,Intertidal Invertebrates of California, 1980, Stanford University

LINKS:

http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/photos/fauna/sci-invertebrate.html

http://enature.com/fieldguide/showSpeciesSH.asp?curGroupID=
8&shapeID=1072&curPageNum=9&recnum=SC0074

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.

 Dec 2001Tania Melendez (PC yr.27)

Strongylocentrotus purpuratus: Purple sea urchin– The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Posted on by

 

 

 

 

Purple Urchins and Californianus sp mussels at a “zero” level tide on the west side of Great Race Rocks.
July 2000

The purple sea urchin is about 10 cm. across, spines up to 2cm. and is bright purple. Its body “skeleton”, called the test, is shell like with bumps and holes from which the moveable spines and tube feet extend .The spines are used for protection, movement and for trapping drifting algae. It has a claw like mouth with 5 teeth-like plates. It is composed of over 60 shells and is called Aristotle’s lantern and is located on the underside or oral side of its body. The anus and the genital pores are on the aboral side of the sea Urchin.

In February, 2004 we had a note from CECIERJ requesting permission to use our video of the purple sea urchin in media being prepared for their undergrad distance learning courses. By offering these courses, the consortium CEDERJ contributes to bringing high quality free education to the inner cities of the Rio de Janeiro State. As well as permitting such use of our resources, we have added for them, an introduction by one of our Brazilian students, Rita who helped us make this video in Portuguese about the Sea Urchins and Echinoderms..

Diet: The Sea Urchin feeds on algae, plankton, kelp, periwinkles, and occasional tiny barnacles or mussels.

They are eaten by crabs, sunflower stars, snails, sea otters, some birds, fish, and people.

Reproduction: Fertilization in Sea Urchin is external, the female release several million tiny, yellow jelly-coated eggs at a time. The gametes join the water column as planktonic forms .

Behaviour: Although they often live in sheltering holes that they have worn in the rocks and they have also been observed to makes holes in solid steel, this behaviour is not evident at Race Rocks. Most of them live in shallow water here, They move surprisingly fast on their tube feet and spines. Moving their feet by a hydraulic water vascular system which creates suction in the end of the foot by pulling water out of the madreporite. They can also regrow broken spines.

The following images show the structural features on the test of a dead purple sea urchin. The image was produced by scanning.


This image shows the aboral view of a purple sea urchin.The dark patch in the middle is the anus. These were dead specimens.Thus the spines are missing.

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Ecinodermata
Class Echinodea
Order Echinoida
Family Strongylocentrotidae
Genus Strongylocentrotus
Species purpuratus
common name Purple Sea Urchin

The lower image shows the oral view of a purple sea urchin. The hole in the middle is its mouth with the sharp edges its 5 teeth. Note the pentaradial symmetry.

Parastichopus californicus The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Posted on by

 Video of Albinism and Leucism in Sea Cucumbers

 

 

 

 

Video of escape response when attacked by Pycnopodia sp.

 

 

 

 

Video of a male sea cucumber releasing sperm

 

 

 

Emily finds a partially albino (pinto?) Parastichopus while diving near Church Island… just up the Strait from Race Rocks. 

 

 

DESCRIPTION:

The California Sea Cucumber grows up to 50cm long. They are the largest cucumbers in B.C. waters. They range in colours from red in juveniles to brown or mottled brown, with all white individuals occurring rarely. They are covered on the dorsal side with flesh coloured papillae, and on the ventral side by tube feet. A circle of peltate feeding tentacles surround a subterminal mouth, directed ventrally at the anterior end. Oxygenated water is forcibly pumped into the sea cucumber’s respiratory trees in several successive inhalations, and then deoxygenated water is forcefully expelled. Eye-witness accounts have noted small fish being expelled with this force of water, perhaps living in symbiosis with the California sea cucumber.

RANGE:

Gulf of Alaska to Cedros Island, West of Lower California. Intertidal to 249m. Common on mud, gravel, shell, rock rubble or solid bedrock, from exposed coast to sheltered inlets. Greatest densities occur in quieter waters where organic sediments settle on hard surfaces. Harvesting of Sea Cucumber is also done by divers, throughout their range.

FEEDING, BEHAVIOR, AND BREEDING:

Sea cucumbers feed as they move along the bottom, traveling up to a maximum of 3.9m a day. They gain nutrition from organic material in sediment, mostly form bacteria and fungi. California Sea Cucumbers cease feeding and become dormant from September to early March. Once they reach maturity at four years of age, they will migrate to shallow water to spawn from late April to August, although this timing varies with location. Fertilization takes place in open water. Free swimming larva feed on plankton for 35-52 days before settling to the bottom. Parastichopus californicus has few natural predators. Sunflower starts sometimes eat them, and the sea cucumber reacts strongly by rearing back and flexing violently to avoid being eaten. They are harvested commercially in B.C., Washington, and Alaska for meat, and limits have been set for the amount that may be caught. When disturbed, as other sea cucumbers, it will contract and squirt a powerful stream of water from its posterior end. Five pairs of muscle bands which run the length of the body help this organism in contracting and escape from sea stars. Perhaps one of the most interesting features is this organisms ability to regenerate new organs for winter after expelling them during its dormant phase. It seems there is controversy as to whether sea urchins expel or reabsorb their organs. Recent evidence cited by Philip Lambert of the RBC museum in Victoria(1997) indicates that the sea cucumbers reabsorb their organs.

FURTHER INFORMATION NEEDED:

-further study at Race Rocks of commensal fish living in respiratory tree

-behaviour studies

-colouration, how long it takes to occur in full pigmentation, as a white individual found near Race Rocks has recently begun to change tan colour–later development?

-mechanism of absorbing/ejecting and regenerating organs

WEBSITE LINKS TO SEA CUCUMBERS:

Sea cucumber fishery – Pacific Region
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/ops/fm/shellfish/Sea_Cucumber/biology_cucumber.htm

A paper by Phil Lambert on Sea Cucumber Taxonomy
http://rbcm1.rbcm.gov.bc.ca/nh_papers//taxing.html

REFERENCES CITED:

Carefoot, Thomas (1977), Pacific Seashores : A Guide to Intertidal Ecology
Lambert, Philip (1997), Sea Cucumbers of B.C., Southeast Alaska and Puget Sound
Morris, Abbott, Haderlie (1990), Intertidal Invertebrates of California
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.  – Sarah Trefry Dec 2001 (PC)

Other Members of the Phylum Echinodermata at Race Rocks 
taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File

Tonicella lineata: lined chiton–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Posted on by

Lined chitons are seen frequently by divers in the 5-15 meter depth at Race Rocks. Their color is highly variable, some being a turquoise colour while others are brown with white markings on some of the shell segments as noted on those in this video clip. Observe in particular, the patches of grazed Lithothamnion sp. , the pink encrusting algae.

 

Characteristics:

Tonos (stretched/braced) Cell, lineatus (lined/marked with lines).

The lined chiton eats the surface layers of this encrusting algae, including the film of diatoms and other small organisms on it.

All chitons have a muscular foot for locomotion, a complete digestive tract from the mouth to the anus, a calcium carbonate shell with 8 overlapping plates. This is produced by the mantle, where organs are suspended in coelom. A gill extracts oxygen and disposes waste, a chiton exposed to air consumes only 73 percent of the amount it does when submerged. It remains in oxygen debt until re submersion. Even though the body has bilateral symmetry, the gill numbers on both sides may very well be irregular, asymmetrical.

Physical Description: The lined chiton- Tonicella lineata -covered by 8 smooth plates,. Endless colour variations exist. The girdle around the plates is smooth and leathery, often with a row of lighter spots or bands. Size up to 5 cm long.


It is brightly colored, having a zigzagging dark black/ brown lines over a background of yellow, orange, pink, orchid, and lavender predominate. This aids in its camouflage around the Lithothamnion coralline algae, where it is usually found.
Geographical Range: Aleutian Islands to San Miguel Island, CA, Sea of Okhotsk, Northern Japan
Habitat: They live on rocks covered with coralline algae that are in the low intertidal or subtidal zone. They can also be found in urchin burrows in the rock.
Feeding: They eat encrusting coralline algae.
Predators:Predators of this invertebrate are sea stars, Pisaster ochraceus and Leptasterias hexactis. Harlequin ducks, and the river otters..
Reproduction: Dioecious broadcast spawners. Spawning occurs in the spring. The males release their sperm into the water while exhaling waste water. Females release a stream of green eggs. Larvae metamorphose into juveniles approximately 12 hours after having settled on coralline algae.
Adaptations: Larval development stops unless the larva settles on coralline algae, which is its food source. This alga also acts as camouflage, as the chiton is often of the same colour.

Possible Further Studies:
The behavior in different depths.
The reproduction cycle of the lined chitons.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Polyplacophora
Order Neoloricata
Suborder Ischnochitonina
Family Ischnochitonidae
Genus Tonicella
Species lineata
Common Name lined chiton

  • References:
    http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/biology/rosario/inverts/Mollusca/Polyplacophora/Tonicella_lineata.html

Ecology and reproductive biology of Tonicella lineata (Wood, 1815)(Mollusca-Polyplacophora), by JR Barnes, 1972

The larval settling response of the lined chiton Tonicella lineata, by J. R. Barnes and J. J. Gonor, MARINE BIOLOGY, Volume 20, Number 3, page 259-264, 1973

http://wikis.evergreen.edu/marinelife1011/index.php/Tonicella_lineata

Andy Lamb and Bernard P. Hanby, Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest, Harbour Publishing p. 176

Adam Sedgwick , Magazine: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Vol. 33, (1881 – 1882), pp. 121-127
Morris, R.H. et al. Intertidal Invertebrates of California. (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1980)

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.

 December 2001 – Bassam( Jarbawi (PC year 27)

 

 

Plant Inventory at Race Rocks

Posted on by

This plant inventory done by Lester Pearson College students Taarini, Julia Clark and Ryan Murphy in Project week, 2001. BC Parks provided some funding.

See other posts on this website tagged with plant

MAP LOC. # Unkn. # Species # Common Name SPECIES Description AREA Diam Meters UTM VERT UTM HORIZ Introduced Indigenous
10 1 Mist Maiden Romanzofia tracii 5349628 460559 yes
2 chickweed 1  “  “
3 brome Bromus 1  “  “
11 4 fescue-tft grass tuft grass 1 5349631 460553 yes
3 brome 3  “  “ no
12 1 Mist Maiden R.tracii 36 5349637 460556 yes
brome  “  “
13 1 Mist Maiden R.tracii mud flat 5349647 460543 yes
7 short grass  “  “
14 3 brome 5349646 460546
15 ? 5349629 460564
16 3 brome grey water pit 6 5349585 460620 no
17 3 brome 6 5349586 460614 no
tulip two  “  “
18 7 short grass rocks 5349594 460618
2 chickweed  “  “
3 brome  “  “
5 dandelions  “  “
6 wild geranium  “  “
19 6 wild geranium marker 0.5 5349595 460617
20 3 brome 8 5349598 460615
8 marigold 6 clumps
geraniums small patches
24 clover few patches
23 small patch
21 marigold 3 5349602 460615
geranium many  “  “
brome many
grape hyacinth  few patches
short grass
chickweed
dandelion
26 in cracks of rock
22 Romanzoffia 5349595 460624
geranium
brome
28  Tamarix large bush
23 brome 8 m circle 5349606 469625
chickweed
dafodillls  quite a few
30 few clumps
31 spiny leaves
bluebells 4 plants
24 brome 5349612 460634
native fescue
geranium
chickweed
28 2
brome
chickweed
short grass
30 amongst 29
purple stalk 1
dry long grass covering rock
26 brome few 53949631 460622
dafodill 3
Romanzofia tracii 1 clump
geranium
28 5
chickweed
bluebells 15
19 big patch
brome
31 equisetum? clumps of strait hollow like baby bamboo?
27 brome covered- 3m 5349637 460609
war crane 3 m patch
chickweed
fescue small
28 33 between winch house and house 5349623 460608
brome
geranium
chickweed
short grass
bluebells
marigolds fewe
28 small
29 concrete patch 5349619 460595
30 English Daisy all short
short grass
geranium
native fescue
dandelion
marigold
brome tiny bit
31 brome short lawn 5349619 460585
English daisy
marigold
bluebell 1
chickweed
32 Carols flowers Bergemia 5349602 460586
marigold
tulip
hyacinth
bluebell
E daisy
clover
short grass
33 clover
lawn grass
E.daisy
geranium
marigold
dandelion
34 short grass 5349612 460566
brome patches
geranium
35 short grass 5349607 460554
brome patches
chickweed small amt
36 brome 5349638 460543
short grass 2 m
chickweed
37 tidepool 5349640 460547
38 brome behind lighthouse 5349576 460621
chickweed
geranium
marigold
fescue
stalks
Romanzoffia
brome
hyacinth
short grass
40 brome 5349555 460588
clover
hyacinth
geranium
marigold
bluebell
stalk
41 brome 5349549 460588
fescue
short grass
thistle
marigold
30 big bush
bluebell
stalk
42 brome 5349537 460577
geranium many
bluebell
marigold
native grass
43 native grass 5349554 460517
brome
stalks
dandelion
geranium
44 lighthouse 5349564 460592
45 bluebell 5349551 460554
brome
fescue
short grass
46 brome 5349538 460552
short grass
daisy
marigold
geranium
bluebell
chickweed
47 brome 5349555 460538
geranium
48 brome 5349558 460545
geranium
shrt grass
chickweed
49 tidepool 5349570 460504
50 tidepool 5349570 460493
51 brome all rocks 5349577 460512
52 brome many
bluebell
marigold
chickweed
geranium
53 26 5349584 460527
brome
54 short grass
brome
55 brome 5349601 460539
chickweed
56 brome 5349606 460548
wallflower
short grass
57 pad crner 5349623 460535
58 other corner 5349607 460607
59 brome 5349620 460539
Romanzoffia rocky
chickweed
60 brome behind house 4 m 5349580 460551
geranium
daffodil
wallflower
bluebell
61 marigold along path 5329589 460563
chickweed
geranium
short grass
wall flower
26 on rock

Anarrhichthys ocellatus: Wolf Eel –The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Posted on by

Anarrhichthys ocellatus

wolfjas

This video shows Pearson College Diver Jason Reid with a wolf eel and was broadcast live in the Underwater Safari Program in October 1992

Description: Although the behaviors of the wolf eel are relatively limited at this moment, they still deem to be one of the most interesting species found in the waters. Its name originates from the greek word Anarhichas-– a fish in which the wolf eel resembles– and the latin word ocellatus which means eye-like spots. In general, Wolf-eels are easily to identify. There name suggests that they resemble eel like structures which range in colour from grey to brown or green. Starting from a young age, their coloration starts with a burnt orange spotted look graduallty changing into a dominant grey for males and brown for females. The males and females both have a dorsal fin that stretches from head to the end of their body. On average, a Wolf-eel is seen to possess a body of 2 meters long and characterized by a unique pattern of spots that appear to be individualized both in males and in females. In addition, the Wolf-eel possesses a large square head coupled with powerful jaws and canine teeth allowing for easier mastication– a beneficial adaptation to its environment of hard-shelled animals.
Classification:
Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Actinopterygii
SuperOrder Acanthoptergygii
Order Perciformes
SubOrder Zoarcoide
Family Anarhichadidae
Genus Anarrhichthys
Species ocellatus
Common Name: Wolf-eel

Habitat and Range: Wolf-eels can most abundantly be found from the sea of Japan and the Aleutian islands continuing southwards to imperial beach, Southern California. Wolf-eels live from barely subtidal waters to 740 feet (Love, 1996). The island of Racerocks is one of the sites in the Pacific Northwest in which the Wolf-eel can be found. Exploring the island, the most common places would be near the Rosedale reef and along the cliff near the docks. The rocky reefs and stony bottom shelves at shallow and moderate depths serve to be the abodes of the Wolf-eel. They will usually stake out a territory in a crevice, den or lair in the rocks. In addition, the Wolf-eel possesses a long, slender body which allows them to squeeze into their rocky homes. During the juveniles years of the Wolf-eel, they can most commonly be found in the upper part of the water, residing there for about two years. As the Wolf-eel ages, it will slowly migrate to the ocean floor and maintain an active lifestyle. Eventually, the Wolf-eel will find a rock shelter and “vegetate” for the remainder of its lifespan.

Diet: The adaptation of the Wolf-eel’s jaw to crush hard objects, as mentioned, deems to be beneficial for eating other organisms around its environment. The gourment delicacies that the Wolf-eel feeds upon are crustaceans, sea urchins, mussels, clams, snails some other fishes.

Mating and Other Interesting Facts: In aquaria, males and females form pairs at about 4 years of age and produce eggs at 7 years old. Spawning usually occurs from October into late winter. A male will butt his head against the female’s abdomen then wrap himself around her as a sign for a mating call. It has been found that the male fertilizes the eggs as they are laid and up to 10 000 eggs can be released at a single time. The father and mother will then wrap themselves around the egg masses and will guard the eggs for about 13-16 weeks when the eggs will then hatch. Possible predators that prey on the eggs include Benthic rockfishes and kelp greenlings. This process will continue periodically and repetitively for the lifespan of a Wolf-eel as it has been found that Wolf-eel’s mate for life.

Conservation Notes: At the moment, many fishers use rockhopper trawls to fish rough, rocky sea floors. This method causes the destruction of the rocky reefs in which the Wolf-eel resides. At the current moment, scientists are calling for a halt in the use of rockhopper trawls and an alternative method of using longline traps which don’t harm the rocky reefs.

References: Love, Milton, Probably more than you want to know about the fishes of the Pacific Coast: A humorous guide to Pacific fishes, California, Really Big Press, 1996, pg. 298
Lamb, Andy and Edgell, Phil, Coastal Fishes of the Pacific Northwest, BC Canada, Harbour Publishing, 1986, pg. 94.
Other members of the  Class Actinopterygii 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.
Dec. 2001 Zaheer Kanji, (PC) Edmonton Alberta