Read the last post of the year now. Click here.
First of all, happy new years eve! It is also my sister Eme's 7th birthday! Here are some things that happened today that are worthy to share.
One Joshua tree finally germinated. I placed them in a cup with water, and the seed sprouted. We can't wait to track it (and the other seed)'s progress! Check out our newly updated TMAD page up top for more.
'Cause this is Driller night!
2 Intertidal animals that can drill through shells and other hard objects
Did you know that a number of intertidal animals are capable of drilling into hard surfaces? Chances are, you might recognize some:
What is one blind intertidal creature living here on our rocky shores, from BC to SoCal? It's called the Stearns' Sea Spider. However, this creature is not a spider, and is not an arachnid either. Though it's fairly common, it is often hidden from our sight because it hides under rocks or shells. Also it is very tiny, only reaching to about 1 inch in length. Imagine a big, creamy light orange tardigrade, with no eyes longer, skinnier legs, and an overall thin body. The animal has a small proboscis that is used to suck animals insides. It tends to move very slowly, and is usually not seen in large numbers.
Did you know that sea spiders don't have gills, like other arthropods?
Like frogs and amphibians, they breath through their skin and exoskeleton. When it wants to eat an animal, it will stay on the animals' back until a small, round hole is driven into it. Then, it starts sucking in the flesh. It is known to eat smaller crabs and starfish. It is a very important part of the ecosystem because it keeps the crab populations in check.
The next time you go to the tidepools, make sure to search for this little guy.
Another animal that can drill into hard objects is the Emarginate Dogwinkle, or Northern Striped Dog Whelk. It's a type of carnivorous snail that lives in the high to mid intertidal zone in our rocky shores. At first, it may seem like a normal snail, but at night, it drills holes into shellfish to take out their flesh. Unlike most snails, it is strictly a carnivore. That means instead of having a radula (a tongue snails have to rasp algae), it has a proboscis, like the Sea Spiders. If you've ever seen a California mussel shell with holes in it, it was probably drilled by these snails. When the snails eat a mussel, the leftover meat gets eaten by hermit crabs, crabs and fish, until all the flesh is gone. The shells get washed out to sea where they are eroded and broken to pieces. Once they reach shore, they turn into little rainbow gems.
And that's it! See you next year!
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