Category Archives: Species

Arctonoe pulchra

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rmscaleworm011-11-18 at 5.00.26 PM

Photo by ryan Murphy

 

rmscaleworm2012-03-26 at 11.39.25 AM

Ryan Murphy took these images of this scale worm in a commensal relationship with sea star.

This set of images taken by Ryan Murphy shows one of the more delicate of the Polynoidae, or scale worms. Divers  often find scale worms on the underside of Sea stars and sea cucumbers at Race Rocks. This has not been positively identified but it could be one of the two of three species in the Genus Hololepida. 

The following classification is based on that of the Animal Diversity Web:

Kingdom Animalia
 Phylum Annelida
Class Polychaeta
Order Aciculata
Family  Polynoidae
Genus Hololepida
There are two possible species :
Species: australis
or Species : veleronis
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,

Phalaropus fulicarius:red phalarope–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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This is the first image taken of this species at Race Rocks  March 2012

 

 

I was on the docks at Race Rocks when I saw this small phalarope which I thought was the red-necked version. A viewer pointed out that it had a grey back and a thick bill. Therefore it is the “Red” phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius. It turns out that all the others we have seen in that same area by the docks in the past have been the red phalarope,  Phalaropus lobatus  which have a brown marked back  This is their winter non-breeding plumage so none of the colourful plumage of the breeding season shows up.  (Garry Fletcher)

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes
Family Scolopacidae
Genus Phalaropus
Species fulicarius Linnaeus 1758
Common Name: Red Phalarope
Garry Fletcher

Actitis macularius : Spotted Sandpiper –The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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Image by Ryan Murphy
This is the first image taken of this species.This is an immature individual, (note lacking the spots of an adult). It is probably a local breeder. It breeds in fresh water areas throughout North America.

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes
Family Scolopacidae
Genus Actitis
Species macularius Linnaeus 1766
Common Name: Spotted Sandpiper

 

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.

Ryan Murphy- Ecoguardian 

Hydrolagus colliei: The spotted ratfish– The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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A spotted ratfish falling prey to a seagull. These are more frequently spotted by divers at night but so far this is the first one seen at Race Rocks

A spotted ratfish falling prey to a seagull. These are more frequently spotted by divers at night but so far this is the first one seen at Race Rocks. Photo by Ryan Murphy

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordate
Sub Phylum Vertebrata
Class Condrichthyes
Order Chimaeriformes
Family Chimaeridae
Genus Hydrolagus
Species colliei
Common Name: Spotted ratfish

 

Return to the species index of the Race Rocks Taxonomy.

This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by the students, faculty, staff and volunteers of
Lester B. Pearson College
March 2011
Ryan Murphy

Bubo virginianus: Great Horned Owl–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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This great horned owl showed up at Race Rocks on November 12, 2011. There has only been one other reported sighting, on October 14 2006, by members of the Friends of Ecological Reserve field trip . While visiting the island, they saw that an owl had been sitting in a window ledge of the tower, and it flew out when people were going up inside the tower. It was later sighted on the cliff west of the docks, but it flew before they could get a picture.

Images by Alex Fletcher November 12, 2011

Alex reports that this time it was perched at the upper crane deck platform, and goes in under the crane deck as well. It was still there on November 13. The wind has gusted to 60 km. at Race Rocks on both days, and it has rained frequently during that time.

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Aves
Order Strigiformes
Family Strigidae
Genus Bubo
Species virginianus
Common Name: Great Horned Owl
Other owls photographed 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.  Alex Fletcher

 

Unidentified Ectoproct photographed by Ryan Murphy

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An Ectoproct ( Bryozoa) that we have not yet been able to identify.

An Ectoproct ( Bryozoa) that we have not yet been able to identify. This image appeared originally on Ryan’s Flickr site in the picture of a shrimp at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryanjmurphy/6351563627/in/photostream/

 

I was struck by the appearance of the background of the image, although the shrimp was certainly attractive. The name “Phoronid” came to mind , and we identified it as Phoronis vancouverensis however, I have since been informed by the experts that this is not the case.   So it remains an unknown species, possibly an Ectoproct  Bryozoan. We would appreciate hearing from anyone who may recognize the species.

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Bryozoa
Ectoprocta
Class Gymnolaemata
Order Cheilostomata
Family ??
Genus ??
Species ??
Common Name: ??

 This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by the students, faculty, staff and volunteers of Lester B. Pearson College and website viewers on our remote cameras on the internet.

Go to the Taxonomy Index for Race Rocks

 

Pholis clemensi: Longfin gunnel–Race Rocks Taxonomy Index

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pholisclemensi

Pholis clemensi image by Ryan Murphy

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Perciformes (Perch-likes)
Pholidae (Gunnels)
Etymology: Pholis: Greek, pholis, -idos = scale (Ref. 45335);
clemensi: Named after Dr. W.A. Clemens, Canadian zoologist and educator.

See all posts tagged “fish”

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

Stylaster parageus columbiensis- Lindner & Cairns in Cairns & Lindner, 2011

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Record in the Smithsonian Institute, from : http://collections.si.edu/search/record/nmnhinvertebratezoology_910698?q=set_name:%22Invertebrate+Zoology%22

Stylaster parageus columbiensis Lindner & Cairns  (**in Cairns & Lindner, 2011)

Paratype for Stylaster parageus columbiensis Lindner & Cairns in Cairns & Lindner, 2011
Catalog Number: USNM 1096625
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Invertebrate Zoology

Microhabitat Description:
shallow water
Collector:
Dr. Alberto Lindner
Ocean/Sea/Gulf:
North Pacific Ocean
Preparation: Dry
  • Sex: male
  • Type Status: Paratype
Place:
Strait of Juan de Fuca, Race Rocks near Sooke Community, British Columbia, Canada, North Pacific Ocean
Collection Date:
Jul 2002
Common name:
Hydrozoans
Taxonomy:
Animalia ,
Cnidaria ,
Hydrozoa,
Anthoathecatae
Stylasteridae
Published Name:
Stylaster parageus columbiensis Lindner & Cairns in Cairns & Lindner, 2011
Stylaster campylecus parageus (Fisher, 1938)
Stylaster sp.
Stylaster parageus (Fisher, 1938)
USNM Number:
1096625
Specimen Count:
1
Site Number:
AL 470
Record Last Modified:
17 Jul 2013
See more items in:
Invertebrate Zoology
Data Source:
NMNH – Invertebrate Zoology Dept.
Visitor Tag(s):
**Paratype: Cairns, S. D. & Lindner, A. 2011. A Revision of the Stylasteridae (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa, Filifera) from Alaska and Adjacent Waters. Zookeys. 158: 1-88.

See the entry of the Race Rocks Taxonomy

Stomatoca atra: the Race Rocks taxonomy

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Ryan Murphy took these pictures of Stomatoca atra underwater at Race Rocks. It was identified by Dr. Anita Brinckmann-Voss.

rm291010jell

rm291010jelly

hydrozoafoodweb

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

See this link for other hydroids:  https://www.racerocks.ca/tag/hydroid/