GET TO KNOW
MARINE LIFE IN THE AQUARIUM
Tegula
Tegula sp.
Size: up to 1 inch
Diet: Micro algae.
Description: The Black Tegula (T. funebralis) is a small common snail found on the rocky intertidal zone found well above the low zone. The Black Tegula has a very hard shell, can live for 100+ years, and scrapes algae using its specialized tongue, the radula. A similar species, the Brown Tegula, occupies the same intertidal zone. It has a light chestnut shell. Hermit Crabs of the genus Pagurus can be seen using the shells of this snail.
P. brunnea is a similar species but it has an orange foot and a chestnut-brown shell. It is less common (found below the low intertidal into shallow subtidal) but we have several on display at the CCAG .
Range: Oregon to California. Uncommon in Southern California.
Rock Crab
Cancer productus
Size: larges 8"
Diet: carrion and seaweed.
Description: The red rock crab is a large Cancer crab that has 9 marginal teeth on each side of a D. shaped carapace. The adults are almost always brick red in color, but juveniles can be white, striped, red + striped, orange and even green/blue. They are among a few species that are taken as food, but a related species, Metacarcinus magister, has more meat and is taken commercially.
Range: Alaska to Los Angeles; uncommon south of Cambria
Lottia Limpets
Lottia sp.
Size: 3/4 inch - 4 inch
Diet: Micro algae
Description: The genus Lottia is a small group of limpets with a conical shaped shell, two triangular eyestalks. The shel varies from the size of your nail, to 2" across. The Fingernail limpet and Rough limpet live in the splash zone, because their shells can withstand the waves. Bigger species like the Plate Limpet or the Giant Owl Limpet live a little more than four years in the wild, and ten years in the CCAG. Most occur in the upper intertidal zone, but similar Lottiid limpets (e.g. Acmaea sp.) live in the lower intertidal zone.
Range: Alaska to Baja
Dogwinkle
Nucella sp.
Size: 1 inch -3 inch
Diet: Mussels, shellfish
The genus Nucella is a family of predatory snails resembling Whelks. Dogwinkles are found on the Atlantic and the Pacific. They are normally found in mussel beds, drilling shells of mussels. The genus is capable of drilling into shells by secreting an acid and drilling in using a specialized tongue called the radula.
Our Nucella specimens are kept away from the mussels (see below) in our touch tank. They are feed frozen squid.
Range: Alaska to Central California
Striped Shore Crab
Pachygrapsus crassipes
Size: 1-1.75 inches
Diet: Algae, Carrion, Snails, and other crabs
Description: Black carapace mottled black, purple or green. Pincers equal with boxy carapace. Males larger than Females. Legs somewhat flattened. Found eating algae out of water during low tide, in rock creases, and under rocks. Can be seen feeding on algae with spoon tipped pincers at low tide
Habitat: Rock shores. mussel beds and estuaries. High to low intertidal
Range: BC to Baja, Mexico
Purple Shore Crab
Hemigrapsus nudus
Size: 1-2 inches
Diet: Algae, Carrion, Snails, Seaweed
Description: Purple carapace, sometimes olive green, olive brown, white and red, but other color variations usually occur in juveniles. Otherwise very similar to H. oregonensis in terms of size and carapace morphology. Pincers equal with purple spotted patterns. Males larger than Females. Legs tipped with yellow. Usually found under rocks. Feeds at night.
Habitat: Tidepools and sometimes rock crevices. High to low intertidal.
Range: Alaska to Southern California
Yellow Shore Crab
Hemigrapsus oregonensis
Size: 1-1.75 inches
Diet: Algae, Carrion, Snails, and other crabs
Description: Carapace variable; can be yellow, white, red, and blue lighter speckles present. Pincers equal with somewhat boxy carapace. with 2 marginal teeth behind eyestalks Males larger than Females. Legs somewhat flattened, hairy.
Habitat: Bays and estuaries. Mid intertidal.
Range: Oregon to San Diego.
California Mussel
Mytilus californianus
Size: 4-10 inches
Diet: Small zooplankton
Description: Blue-black shell. Occurs in large densities along rocky coasts. Is also found with Gooseneck Barnacles. Predatory snails, including the dogwinkle (Nucella sp), drill into the shell to eat the flesh. It is also eaten by humans, birds, marine mammals, dogwinkles and other predatory snails and crabs.
Habitat: Rock cliffs and tidepools
Range: Northern Alaska to Baja, Mexico
Anemone
Anthopleura sola + A. elegantissima
Size: 3-10 inches diameter
Diet: Carrion, barnacle molts, crabs.
Description: Bright pink tentacles fading into light pink/green. Disk contains green or yellow stripes radiating from mouth. Found retracted out of water during low tide, in rock creases, and in large numbers covering rocks. These animals can clone by splitting into two. 2 colonies may sting each other for dominance over territory. A cousin, the Giant Green Anemone (Anthopleura xanthogrammica) is solitary, emerald green and wider than this species. The two populations often overlap.
Habitat: Rock shores. mussel beds and estuaries; high to low intertidal zone.
Range: Oregon to Southern California
Pacific Acorn Barnacle
Balanus glandula
Size: 0.5" across at max.
Diet: micro algae and plankton
Description: conical, white crustacean; usually fastened to rocks and mussels. Found in large numbers in bays and estuaries. When the colony gets to crowded, elongated individuals up to 1" high may form. Did you know barnacles are actually crustaceans with modified legs? Barnacles molt every once and a while, but their hard shell keeps on growing. They feed with their modified legs, called cirri.
Habitat: Rock shores, mussel beds; high intertidal zone to subtidal waters.
Range: Washington to Baja
Hermit Crab
Pagurus sp.
Size: 0.1" - 0.5 across
Diet: Seaweed, carrion,
Description: The genus Pagurus are a group of right handed 'pagurid' hermit crabs that are the most common type of hermit crabs found on the West Coast. At the CCAG we have three species. The first one is P. samuelis or the blueband hermit crab. It is olive green in color, with solid red antenna and one blue band on each leg. The juveniles sometimes have additional white bands on their legs, but are distinguished from similar species by the solid antenna. P. hirsutiusculus (hairy hermit) is a larger species that prefers smaller shells. It has white bands on olive green legs. It is usually covered in setate (hairs). It's antenna are white banded. Lastly P. granosimanus is very similar to P. samuelis (same color, same antenna color, same shell preferance) but it has no bands on it's legs or antenna and there are small blue bumps on their appendages (appears grain-like)
Range:
P. samuelis: Northern BC to Baja; less common north of Oregon
P. hirsutiusculus Northern BC to Monterey Penn; most common in the northern portion
P. granosimanus Northern BC to Monterey Penn.
Northern Kelp Crab
Pugettia producta
Size: 4" in across
Diet: kelp, carrion
Description: The northern kelp crab is a slow moving crab that is more common during low tide. It has smooth, brown/red carapace with two large marginal teeth. Sometimes, small pieces of seaweed are placed on the space between the eyestalks (rostrum). However, P. p. rarely decorates it's whole body; there are more species in the genus that decorate more profusely It feeds on kelp during the summer, but becomes an omnivore when kelp is scarce.
Range: BC to San Diego.
Terrestrial Animals
Animals that live in our terrestrial tanks
Amphibian
Ensatina
Range: Oregon to Southern California.
Size: largest 3"
The Ensatina is a lungless salamander that is found throughout wet forests of the Pacific coast. Taxonomists have grouped the organism into several subspecies based on range and visual morphology.
Our Yellow eyed Ensatinas (Ensatina eschscholtzii spp. xanthoptica) look a lot like newts (Taricha) but are distinguished by their smooth, wet skin and a yellow rim above the eye.
Picture: E. e xanthoptica at CCAG .
Amphibian
Arboreal Salamander
Range: coastal CA.
Size: to 7"
Arboreal salamanders (Aneides lugubris) are lungless salamanders that are similar to ensatinas in terms of general physical morphology. The are usually dusky black with white flecks. They are also much larger, and used their long legs to climb trees. It is endemic to California.
Image: wild adult A. lugubris. in Marin County.
crustacean
Isopods
Range: both sp. found
Size: A. vulgare: to 1/4; P. scaber to 1/3
throughout United States
Isopods are a large group of crustaceans, but the ones we have at the CCAG are woodlice .
Porcellio scaber colonize more rapidly and cannot roll into balls. They are usually grey with grey tubercles and two uropods extending from back. Another species, P. dilatatus is same in nature compared to P. s. but is wider.
Armadillidium vulgare is also a common species. The isopod is usually darker than P. scaber and the carapace is smooth. They can role into balls and do not have uropods.
Ligidium are like their close relatives sea slaters (Ligia) except are smaller and exist near freshwater creeks. They have two extended uropods that help them stay hydrated. In terms of physical morphology, they resemble Philosciidae, although they aren't related
We have all 4 species mentioned above in our redwood aquarium.
Left to right
Fig 1: P. scaber
Fig 2: P. dilatatus
Fig 3: A. vulgare
Fig 4: Ligidium
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Gastropod
Banana Slug
Range: BC to San Diego; undescribed species occurs in Palomar Mountain
Size: largest 9"
Banana slugs (Ariolimax) are some of the most iconic gastropods. They are usually yellow, but can be brown, orange, white or black. They can be distinguished from other native slugs (e.g. Prophysaon) by their keeled tail.
Picture: captive Ariolimax at CCAG, with Otala lactea and Helminthoglypta (see below)
Gastropod
Snail
Range:
C. aspersum: temperate areas worldwide.
O. lactea: United States and Europe.
Helminthoglypta: California and Oregon.
We have several species of snail captive at the CCAG . Cornu aspersum, or the garden snail, is the most common snail in California. It is also one of the the most invasive snails. It can be distinguished by it's brown color with yellow, orange mottled spots.
Otala lactea, is another introeuced snail in CA. It's skin is lighter than that of the garden snail and it's shell is mostly white (giving it the names "milk snail" and lactea) It is found in the wild stuck to stalked plants like fennel.
Helminthoglypta is a genus of shoulderbands that are almost completely native to California. We have two Nicklin's shoulderband (H. nickliana) and one Bronze shoulderband (H. arrosa). They can be distinguished with the invasive Cornu aspersum by it's bright, almost shiny texture and the presence of a band on the shoulder of the snail (hence name)
First photo: Left: Helminthoglypta nickliana
Mid: Cornu aspersum
Right: Otala lactea
Gasropod
Banana slug allies
Banana slug allies belong to Family Ariolimacidae and are close relatives of Ariolimax. However, one can confuse them with regular garden slugs because they don't look like banana slugs at all. All Ariolimacidae
are native to the Pacific Coast.
Prophysaon andersoni, or the reticulate taildropper is a small slug of 1-3". It is long and slim, and has reticulate net like patterns on it's tail. It shares the same habitat as Banana slugs, and is native to the Pacific Coast.
The Black Westernslug Hesperarion niger is quite rare and is found in sagescrub habitats under rocks and logs. Like Ariolimax and invasive slug Milax gagates, H. niger has a keel but unlike the latter, it has foot fringe.
Left: Wild H. niger at San Bruno Mountain
Right: Wild P. andersoni at Glen Canyon Park