Lagenorhynchus obliquidens: Pacific White-sided Dolphin–The Race Rocks taxonomy

10614312_10152440678352194_8515761111297904797_nThis image is from the website of the 5 Star Whale-watching Company.

We have seen these dolphins in the waters off Race Rocks, but have yet to get a picture of them on location in the Ecological reserve.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Subclass: Eutheria
Order: Cetacea
Suborder: Odontoceti
Family: Delphinidae
Genus: Lagenorhynchus
Species: L. obliquidens

Other Members of the Class Mammalia at Race Rock

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, 2014

 

Melanitta perspicillata: Surf Scoter–Race Rocks Taxonomy

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Surf scoter,  Melanitta perspicillata at Race Rocks photo by Nick Townley

ntscoterfly

Surf scoter, Melanitta perspicillata in flight

surfscoterSurf Scoters are often sighted off the shores of Taylor beach in the fall (see http://metchosinmarine.ca/gf/?p=3080 ) but only show up at Race Rocks occasionally .. see the Christmas Bird Count records: The first photographic record we have was taken in November, 2014 by Ecoguardian Nick Townley.

RMfeb42009surfscoterPM

This photo was taken by Ecoguardian Ryan Murphy in 2009 but was probably in outer Pedder Bay where they are frequently found.

 

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Subfamily: Merginae
Genus: Melanitta
Species: M. perspicillata

Surf Scoter range

Winter and Summer range of surf scoter: from seaduck ventures page

An excellent reference on the surf scoter with an image of the range can be found on the seaduck ventures page

 

 

 

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taxonomyicon 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. Dec 2014, Nick Townley

 

Charadrius vociferus: Killdeer–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

rm07910killdeer

Killdeer Charadrius vociferus photo by Ryan Murphy, 2010.

ASkilldeer

Killdeer Charadrius vociferus photo by Anne Stewart, Oct 2014

Link to other posts on this website about Killdeers

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

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.

 2014, Garry Fletcher

 


Anthus rubescens: (American Pipit ) –The Race Rocks Taxonomy

raisasept292010amerpipit

Raisa Mirza in the fall of 2010 took this image of an American Pipit at Race Rocks.

Raisasept222010americanpipit

Raisa Mirza in the fall of 2010 took this image of an American Pipit at Race Rocks.

8 individuals of this  species were recorded on the  VNHS Field Trip, Sept 27 2014.

DanielleD-Amerpipet

Photo of American Pipit by Daniel;e Donecke on the VNHS FIeld Trip, Sept 2014

 

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Motacillidae
Genus: Anthus
Species: A. rubescens

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.

Oct 30, 2012 –Garry Fletcher

Entodesma navicula: Northwest ugly clam–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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The siphons of Entodesmata navicula Northwest ugly clam. Photo by Erik Schauff

Staff member Erik Schauff  sent me this image which I had not been able to identify so after sending it over to the experts, Andy Lamb identified it.  It normally has a shorter reach of the siphons and a more orange colour.

Classification:  ( WoRMS)
Animalia (Kingdom)
Phylum Mollusca
Class Bivalvia
Subclass Heterodonta
Infraclass Euheterodonta
Order Anomalodesmata
Superfamily Pandoroidea
Family Lyonsiidae
Genus Entodesmata
Species: E. navicula (Adams & Reeve, 1850)
Common Name Northwest ugly clam.
Return to the Race Rocks Taxonomy Index

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

Pteraster tesselatus: Slime star –The Race Rocks Taxonomy

A useful defense mechanism is evident in the slime stars. They will fill a bucket full of slime when picked up, this can be toxic to other invertebrates.

Slime star photograph by Ryan Murphy

Slime star photograph by Ryan Murphy,2010

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Echinodermata
Subphylum: Eleutherozoa
Class: Asteroidea
Order: Velatida
Family: Pterasteridae
Genus: Pteraster
Species: P. tesselatus

rmjellystar

Slime star and nudibranch–photo by Ryan Murphy

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.  2014 Garry Fletcher

 

Beroe sp. : Ctenophore-Comb jelly–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Ryan Murphy took this image of a Ctenpphore in 2010. This is one of the large forms of “plankton” in our waters.

Combjelly

Phylum Ctenophora – Sea gooseberries & comb jellies
Class Nuda – Sea gooseberries & comb jellies
Order Beroida
Family Beroidae
Genus Beroe

References
http://faculty.washington.edu/cemills/Ctenophores.html: This reference provides a good general description of the characteristics of Ctenophores . Note the discussion on the fact that they are not bioluminescent as many believe.

Claudia Mills and Stephen Haddock have a technical chapter of Ctenophores with good diagrams.

This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by  the students, faculty, volunteers and staff of Lester B. Pearson College– 2014-Garry Fletcher

 

Ascidia paratropa : Glassy tunicate –The Race Rocks Taxonomy

glasstunicate

Glass tunicate image by Ryan Murphy. ID by Rick Harbo Sept 2014

Phylum Chordata,
Subphylum Urochordata,
Class Ascidiacea,
Order Enterogona
Family Ascidiidae
Suborder Phlebobranchia
Genus Ascidia
Species paratropa
(Huntsman, 1912)

 

 

 

 

 

This is a solitary tunicate, 10-15 cm tall.. We find these only occasionally at Race Rocks, sub-tidally  at about 10-15 metres. The colonial ascidians are always more abundant.

Other Members of the Subohylum 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.

 name –year (PC)

Aequorea victoria, crystal jelly : The Race Rocks Taxonomy

aequorea

Aequorea in a kelp bed at Race Rocks, photo by Chris Blondeau

Kingdom: Animalia Subkingdom: Eumetazoa Phylum: Cnidaria Subphylum: Medusozoa Class: Hydrozoa Subclass: Leptolinae Order: Leptomedusae Suborder: Conica Family: Aequoreidae Genus: Aequorea Species: A. victoria The following quote  is from Wikipedia.. noted here because of the reference to Dr. Anita Brinckmann-Voss.

“Aequorea victoria, also sometimes called the crystal jelly, is a bioluminescent hydrozoan jellyfish, or hydromedusa, that is found off the west coast of North America. This species is thought to be synonymous with Aequorea aequorea of Osamu Shimomura, the discoverer of green fluorescent protein (GFP). Shimomura together with Martin Chalfie and Roger Y. Tsien were awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry[1] for the discovery and development of this protein as an important biological research tool. Originally the victoria species was supposed to designate the variant found in the Pacific, and the aequorea designation was used for specimens found in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. The species name used in GFP purification was later disputed by M.N. Arai and A. Brinckmann-Voss (1980),[2] who decided to separate them on the basis of 40 specimens collected from around Vancouver Island. Osamu Shimomura notes that this species in general shows great variation: from 1961 to 1988 he collected around 1 million individuals in the waters surrounding the Friday Harbor Laboratories of University of Washington, and in many cases there were pronounced variations in the form of the jellyfish. “

 An interesting account by Claudia Miils about the misidentification of the bioluminescence in Aequorea in various scientific journals and magazines  can be found in Bioluminescence and other factoids about Aequorea, a hydromedusa See this link for other hydroids:  https://www.racerocks.ca/tag/hydroid/ 

This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by the students, faculty and staff and volunteers of Lester B. Pearson College
originally published 2006, updated: 2014 Garry Fletcher

Another juvenile elephant seal

Winds decreasing all day to almost zero. Forecast calling for showers after midnight tonight. Barometric pressure still on the rise since Saturday night.

5 whale watching boats

3 recreational fishing boats

Another juvenile elephant seal arrived on the island today, bringing the total number to three. All three made their way down to the jetty this afternoon and the two juveniles were sparring for an hour or so. The adult river otter also made its way from Camera 5 to the winch deck again today. Great bioluminescence tonight!

Continued cleaning the boat shed.