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Handy resources

http://www.reef.org/cheatsheets (pics, lists, flashcards)

Scallop guide: http://myweb.facstaff.wwu.edu/~minerb2/FieldGuides/HarvestedScallops2008.pdf

WA Fishing Guide: https://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01914/wdfw01914.pdf

WA frequency data: http://www.reef.org/db/reports/geo/PAC/2/2007-01-01/2017-12-31/1/chart/common

Invertebrates

Porifera (sponges)

Pump water (food) through openings - us

Common Name	Description	Image 1	Image 2	Other
Chimney Sponge	· Larger opening covered with in brown stuff · Up to two feet high · Also known as boot sponge · Found in deeper waters 60’ft+ in rocky areas			SF: 0.06% \| DEN: 1.09
Cloud Sponge	· Usually found deeper 80’+ · Also known as glass sponges because they contain silica			SF: 0.94% \| DEN: 1.93
Yellow Boring Sponge	· Boring as they eat into rock · Very small individuals – tiny spec up to ¼ inch · Typically 30ft+			SF: 5.86% \| DEN: 1.01

Mollusca (Nudi/Octo/Chiton/Scallop)

Nudibranch means “naked gills” because the gills stick out of body

Dirona vs Nudi?: Dironas are type of Nudi. Dironas are oval shaped and have a bushy gill plume. Dironas are part of the Bushy-backed nudis, which all have numerous highly branched cerata

Common Name	Description	Image 1	Image 2	Other
Giant nudibranch	· Always has white edging along foot · Color varies · Grows 8-12 inches in size · Able to eat tube dwelling anemes and eat stinging anemones without triggering poison and then become poisonous themselves to predators			SF: 2.67% \| DEN: 1.46
Opalescent nudibranch	· Yellow and sometimes blue edged line running down center of body (very unique characteristic) · Quite small · Actually two species differentiated by white lines along cirada			SF: 15.96% \| DEN: 1.91
White lined dirona	· White to salmon in color depending on diet · Can be missing a few serado(sp?) as they can release them to escape preditors · Quite common Salmon colored white-lined are similar to gold dironas: · White line goes all the way down the pedal. Gold dironas have white line that only is by the tip. · Gold dironas have more bulbous leafs than white lined.			SF: 35.55% \| DEN: 1.87
Yellow margin dorid	· Only yellow (no red) · Actually two species combined for survey purposes · Do not include Nanaimo dorid which has red tips			SF: 21.32% \| DEN: 1.73
Clown Dorid				SF: 3.8% \| DEN: 1.85
Leopard Dorid	· Ca has similar species called san diago dorid · Inside of dots has lighter color			SF: 4.29% \| DEN: 1.59
Giant Pacific Octopus	· Long ridges on skin vs the rounded protrusions like the red octo · Lacks 3 “eyelashes” that Red oct has under each eye			SF: 27.03% \| DEN: 1.39
Stubby Squid	· PNW version of a cuddlefish			SF: 0.39% \| DEN: 1.27
Leafy Hornmouth	· Unique characteristic is the three leafy flat projection running length of shell · Usually on rocky reefs · Has sharp horn on back side (per name). this flat rib helps them land foot down if they fall. · Up to 4” I length			SF: 26.11% \| DEN: 2.03
Lewis Moonsnail	· Covered in soft white mantle · Can be large up to 4” · Retracts foot/mantle into shell · Able to move under sand using mucus coating · Egg casing looks like broken pottery · First described by Merriweather Lewis (thus name)			SF: 17.25% \| DEN: 1.63
Oregon Triton	· Usually bristles/growth on shell · Can get huge (up to 6”)		Laying eggs	SF: 12.85% \| DEN: 1.93
Gumboot Chiton	· Classic chiton segments are covered over by shell · Largest chiton in world Also known as giant pacific chiton			SF: 23.48% \| DEN: 1.87
Northern Abalone	· Yellow tissue in respitory holes on top of shell and pair of eyes at front · Bristles extending from shell / only abalone in the NW · Overharvested and now very rare as breeding no longer happening. Wild ones tend to be very old. · Petition to add to endangered species act · Moves around like a chiton · Also known as pinto abalone			SF: 0.77% \| DEN: 1.28
Rock Scallop	· Orange/yellow flesh in mouth · Permanently attached to rock · Now very rare recently · Usually covered in stuff because of slow growth rate · Small dots along mouth are eyes which is how they see you coming and close · Flase jingles can look like little closed rock scallops but don’t have both shell halves

Cnidaria (anemone/coral/zoanthid/seapen)

Cnidaria represents stinging stuff
Common Name	Description	Image 1	Image 2	Other
Fish Eating Anemone	· Usually some yellow around mouth but color of tentacles and column varies from red to orange to white. Base usually darker. · Found on rocks but not generally in Puget sound · Lacks white spots on column unlike white spotted · Confused w/ sand anemone which is on sand and has bumpy warts on column			SF: 9.72% \| DEN: 2.34
Plumose Anemone	·	Credit Curtits Johnson	Credit Curtits Johnson	SF: 83.14% \| DEN: 3.2
Strawberry Anemone	· Club tipped tentacles unlike orange zoanthid · White tips on tentacles · Confused with orange cup coral (no clubs on tentacles)			SF: 1.08% \| DEN: 0.82
	· Lives in sand · Usually 40ft+ · Two sets of tentacles (short ones in middle)			SF: 15.84% \| DEN: 2.22
White-spotted Anemone	· White spots on column – sometimes connecting into vertical lines · No banding on tentacles (unlike others) · Virtually always on rocks · Uncommon in lower Puget sound · Sand anemones have raised spots			SF: 6.24% \| DEN: 1.93
Moon Jelly	· 4 horseshoe gonads · Grey to blue bell · Technically multiple species worldwide that look the same			SF: 9.12% \| DEN: 1.78
Lion's Mane Jelly (was Sea Blubber)	· Up to 3ft across w/ 20ft tentacles · Scalloped edges Tentacles come from under the bell rather than outside of bell · Confused e/ egg yolk which is lighter and lacks scalloped edges			SF: 5.74% \| DEN: 1.44
Orange cup coral	· In a hard cup (can tell if you tap on it) · Plain, beefy, tentacles with no ball/club on end · Up to size of a nickel · Only count orange. There is also a separate brown cup coral that is separate (not counted).			SF: 15.77% \| DEN: 3.38
Orange Sea Pen	· Orange with thick mass at bottom · Bioluminescent on night dives when stroked			SF: 10.57% \| DEN: 2.04
Pink Hydrocoral	· High current areas like coast · Usually 30ft+			SF: 5.95% \| DEN: 2.48
Orange Zoanthid	· Tentacles are plain · Actually connected by a common base · More stalky – stand up higher than anemones · Typicaly 30ft+			SF: 2.97% \| DEN: 1

Echinodermata (cucumber/star/dollar/urchin)


Common Name	Description	Image 1	Image 2	Other
California Sea Cucumber	· Less common in CA than WA/BC	Credit Curtits Johnson
Orange Sea Cucumber	· Frequently confused with red creeping cucumber which lack long body	Credit Curtits Johnson	Credit Curtits Johnson
Leather Star	·	Credit Curtits Johnson	Credit Curtits Johnson
Vermilion Star	· 5 arms · Distinct pattern on top to keep invaders off
Spiny Pink Star	· Purple/Pink to grey in color · Up to 3-4 feet across	Credit Curtits Johnson	Credit Curtits Johnson
Basket Star	· 5 sets of arms (before branching) · Can form basket shape per name
Feather star	· Attaches to rock with pincher like legs · Can move/swim around · Love high current areas			In crinoid class
Sunflower Star	·
Eccentric Sand Dollar	·
Green Sea Urchin	· Shorter spines than other species · 5 node radial symmetry
Red Sea Urchin	· Longer spines than other urchins · Get large (6”) unlike purple urchins (3”). · Purple and red urchins can be confused as they can be similar colors

Annelida (worm)


Common Name	Description	Image 1	Image 2	Other
Fringed Tube Worm	Light-dark brown collecting arms Look like fuzz on a rock Has a small stalk at base
Northern Feather Duster Worm	Like red/blue pom poms Very long stalk (up to 2ft)

Bryozoa

Common Name

Description

Image 1

Image 2

Other

Fluted Bryozoan

· Like “lunch meat”

· Typical 5” in dia

· Usually rocky areas (less common in Puget sound)

SF: 0.9% | DEN: 2.59

Lacy Bryozoan

· Similar lunch meat but with many holes in it (like decorative lace)

· Usually high current areas (like San Juan island)

SF: 2.95% | DEN: 1.85

Arthropoda (shrimp/crab)

Jointed feet
Common Name	Description	Image 1	Image 2	Other
Candy Striped Shrimp	· Generally pretty small – less than 1.8”			SF: 1.93% \| DEN: 1.96
Coonstripe (dock) Shrimp	brownish shrimp with brown lines and spots on the head and tail may have small red or blue dots on the head			SF: 62.96% \| DEN: 2.91
Spot Prawn	deep pink/red or pink/orange body white lines on the head two pairs of white spots on the tail end			SF: 8.45% \| DEN: 2.34
Giant Barnacle	· Multiple thatched segments around edge · Yellow lip beak			SF: 38.46% \| DEN: 2.64
Northern Kelp Crab	· Wide two point front of shell · Spots on claws · Mails have thicker claws vs females			SF: 47.44% \| DEN: 2.12
Dungeness Crab	· White claws			SF: 31.36% \| DEN: 1.94
Red Rock Crab	· Can be striped when young (but still have black tipped claws			SF: 60.27% \| DEN: 2.16
Graceful crab	· Purple coloring on legs (memory aid: purple tutu) · White outline on shell front · Dungeness’ widest part of shell is last tooth… graceful has one more · Less teeth on top of claw · Usually sand/silt bottom · Also can have white pinchers but usually more purple			SF: 4.37% \| DEN: 1.89
Puget Sound King Crab	· Shell has four bumps (like a crown)		Juvenile	SF: 1.04% \| DEN: 1.43
Squat Lobster	· Small long pinchers · Have “squat” for a tail (no tail)			SF: 1.18% \| DEN: 2.74

Urochordata


Common Name	Description	Image 1	Image 2	Other
Orange Social Ascidian	Found in groups
Shiny Orange Sea Squirt	Usually don’t grow adjacent but can occur Holes often square
Glassy Sea Squirt	· Has two siphons			Now an invertebrate but used to have a backbone in prior evolution

Invasive Tunicates
Common Name	Description	Image 1	Image 2	Other
Club tunicate - Styela clava
Didemnum tunicate	Any types, can be vibrant yellow
Transparent Ciona Tunicate

Algae / Marine Plants


Common Name	Description	Image 1	Image 2	Other
Bull Kelp	Annual (regrow yearly) Smooth leaves (unlike giant kelp)			SF: 5.23% \| DEN: 3.07
Eelgrass	Actual plant like land plants (has roots, seeds, etc) Surfgrass has a narrower blade vs eelgrass			SF: 4.37% \| DEN: 1
Giant Kelp	Multiple air sacks along stalks. Ridges on leaves unlike bull kelp Mostly on coast (maybe san juans)			SF: 0.43% \| DEN: 3.25
Sargassum	· Numerous air sacks to keep it afloat			SF: 4.51% \| DEN: 1