The North Island Explorer's Guide to Vancouver Island's Marine Life
Vancouver Island has a rich variety of marine organisms. This guide contains some of the more common, easily identified animals that you are likely to encounter while walking along the various shoreline habitats of North Vancouver Island.
Echinoderms
Sea Stars: Ochre Sea Star, Troschel's Sea Star, Blood Star, Leather Star, Giant Pink Star, Six-rayed Sea Star, Sunflower Star, Morning Sun Star, Rainbow Star, Vermilion Star, Bat Star, Velcro Star, Daisy Brittle Star
Sea Cucumbers: Red Sea Cucumber, California Sea Cucumber
Sea Urchins: Red Sea Urchin, Green Sea Urchin
Other Echinoderms: Sand Dollar
Crustaceans
Crabs: Purple Shore Crab, Green Shore Crab, Porcelain Crab, Black-clawed Crab, Red Rock Crab, Pygmy Rock Crab, Kelp Crab, Graceful Decorator Crab, Helmet Crab, Hairy Crab, Dungeness Crab, Heart Crab
Shrimp: Pacific Prawn, Humpback Shrimp, Coonstripe Shrimp
Hermits: Widehand Hermit, Bering Hermit, Blueband Hermit
Other Crustaceans: Thatched Barnacle, Goose-neck Barnacle
Cnidarians
Jellyish: Lion's Mane Jellfish, Water Jelly, Moon Jelly
Anemones: Pink-tipped Anemone, Burrowing Anemone, Painted Anemone, Green Surf Anemone
Other Cnidarians: Orange Cup Coral
Mollusks
Chitons: Mossy Chiton, Black Leather Chiton, Giant Pacific Chiton
Bivalves: Manilla Clam, Pacific Littleneck Clam, Varnish Clam, Washington
Butter Clam, Giant Rock Scallop, Giant Pacific Oyster, Bent-nose Macoma, Northwest Ugly Clam, California Sunset Clam, Flat-tip Piddock, California Mussel, Pacific Razor Clam, Bodega Tellin
Univalves: Northern Abalone, Wrinkled Dogwrinkle, Northern Striped Dogwinkle, Leafy Hornmouth, DireWhelk, Black Turban, Checkered Periwinkle, Purple Olive, Zigzag Olive, Giant Western Nassa, Checkered Hairy Snail, White Cap Limpet, Fingered Limpet, Black Limpet
Nudibranchs: Sea Lemon, Rainbow Nudibranch, Shag-rug Nudibranch, Barnacle-eating Nudibranch, Leopard Dorid, Opalescent Nudibranch, White-and-orange-tipped (Janolus) Nudibranch, Red Flabellina, Cockerell`s Nudibranch
Octopods: Giant Pacific Octopus
Other: Zebra Leafslug, Bubble Shells
Fish
Scalyhead Sculpin, Lingcod, Starry Flounder, Halibut, Snailfish, Ratfish, Striped Seaperch, China Rockfish, Black Rockfish, Vermilion Rockfish, Yelloweye Rockfish, Tiger Rockfish, Flathead Clingfish, Spiny Dogfish
Mammals
Cetaceans:
Pinepeds: Harbour Seal, California Sea Lion
Other Mammals:
Other Marine Animals
Worms: Red Tube Worm, Purple Ribbon Worm, Orange Ribbon Worm, Commensal Scaleworm
Sea Sponges:
Brachipods: Transverse Lampshell
Tunicates: Broadbased Tunicate, Spiny-headed Tunicate