North Island Explorer: Guide to North Vancouver Island

 

 

 

       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 North Island Explorer's Guide to Marine Life

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 RockfishFlathead 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

 

 

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