Marine Invertebrates of Jekyll Island, GA
Glass Shrimp
Palaemon affinis is a species of shrimp of the family Palaemonidae. Early authors used the name Palaemon affinis for specimens now known to belong to a variety of species, but P. affinis is now known to be endemic to the waters of New Zealand.
Marsh Crab
Sesarma reticulatum, the purple marsh crab or simply marsh crab, is a crab species native to the salt marshes of the eastern United States.
Knobbed Whelk
The knobbed whelk, Busycon carica, is a species of very large predatory sea snail, or in the USA, a whelk, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Buccinidae, the busycon whelks.
Eastern Oyster
The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) — also called Atlantic oyster or Virginia oyster — is a species of true oyster native to the eastern seaboard and Gulf of Mexico coast of North America. It is also farmed in Puget Sound, Washington, where it is known as the Totten Inlet Virginica. Eastern oysters are and have been very popular commercially. Today, ...more ↓
Atlantic Ghost Crab
Ocypode quadrata, known as the Atlantic ghost crab, is a species of ghost crab, once described as an "occult, secretive alien from the ancient depths of the sea". It is a common species along the Atlantic coast of the United States, where it is the only species of ghost crab; its range of distribution extends from its northernmost reach on Rhode Island's beaches south ...more ↓
Mud Fiddler Crab
Uca pugnax is a species of fiddler crab that lives on north-western shores of the Atlantic Ocean.
Atlantic Sand Fiddler Crab
Uca pugilator, the sand fiddler crab is a species of fiddler crab that is found from Massachusetts to the Gulf of Mexico. It lives in burrows in coastal and estuarine mud-flats, and can be extremely abundant. It can be differentiated from its congeners U. pugnax and U. minax by the smoothness of the inside of its claws. One claw is larger than the other, and ...more ↓
Eastern Mudsnail
The eastern mudsnail,Ilyanassa obsoleta, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Nassariidae, the nassa mud snails....
Channeled Whelk
The channeled whelk, Busycotypus canaliculatus, previously known as Busycon canaliculatum, is a very large predatory sea snail, a marine prosobranch gastropod, a busycon whelk, belonging to the family Buccinidae....
Leptogorgia virgulata
Leptogorgia virgulata, commonly known as the sea whip or colorful sea whip, is a species of soft coral in the family Gorgoniidae.
Cannonball Jelly
The cannonball jellyfish (Stomolophus meleagris), also known as the cabbage head jellyfish, is a species of jellyfish in the family Stomolophidae. Its common name derives from its similarity to a cannonball in shape and size. Its dome-shaped bell can reach 25 cm (10 inches) in diameter and the rim is sometimes colored with brown pigment. Underneath of the body is a ...more ↓
Shark Eye
Neverita duplicata, common name the shark eye, is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Naticidae, the moon snails.
Portuguese Man o' War
The Portuguese man o' war (Physalia physalis), also known as the Portuguese man-of-war, Man-Of-War, or bluebottle, though often mistaken as a jellyfish, is a marine cnidarian of the family Physaliidae. Its venomous tentacles can deliver a painful sting.
Turkey Wing
Arca zebra, or the turkey wing ark clam, is a bivalve mollusc in the family Arcidae, the ark clams.
Angel Wing
Cyrtopleura costata or the angel wing clam is a bivalve mollusc in the family Pholadidae. It is found in shallow parts of the north west Atlantic living in the seabed where it burrows through sand and mud to a depth of up to 3 feet (0.91 m).
Blue Mussel
The blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), also known as the common mussel, is a medium-sized edible marine bivalve mollusc in the family Mytilidae, the mussels. Blue mussels are subject to commercial use and intensive aquaculture.
Atlantic Ribbed Mussel
Geukensia demissa is a species of mussel, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Mytilidae, the true mussels. This species is native to the Atlantic coast of North America. The common names for this species include ribbed mussel, Atlantic ribbed marsh mussel and ribbed horsemussel. However, the common name ribbed mussel is also used for the Southern ...more ↓
Calico Scallops
Argopecten is a genus of saltwater clams, or scallops, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Pectinidae.
Transverse Ark Clam
Anadara transversa, or the transverse ark clam, is a clam in the family Arcidae. It can be found along the Atlantic coast of North America, ranging from Massachusetts to Texas, including the West Indies.
Giant Atlantic Cockle
Dinocardium robustum, common name the Atlantic giant cockle, is a species of large saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Cardiidae, the cockles.
Coquina
Donax variabilis is a species of mollusc found on the east coast of the United States, from Virginia to the Caribbean. Its common name is coquina. It has a small shell that is usually colorful. It can be found alive in the sand where the waves come up in between waves. Some people collect the shells to use them for crafts or for decorative purposes. They are edible.
Common Jingle
Anomia simplex, or the common jingle shell, is a species of bivalve mollusc in the family Anomiidae. It can be found along the Atlantic coast of North America, ranging from Nova Scotia to the West Indies.
Sunray Venus Clam
Macrocallista nimbosa, or the sunray venus clam, is a species of bivalve mollusc in the family Veneridae. It can be found along the Atlantic coast of North America, ranging from North Carolina to Texas.
False Angel Wing
Petricolaria pholadiformis, common names "false angel wing" (USA) and "American piddock" (UK), is a species of saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Petricolidae, which is related to the large family Veneridae, the Venus clams.
Sawtooth Pen Shell
Atrina serrata, or the saw-toothed pen shell, is a species of bivalve mollusc in the family Pinnidae. It can be found along the Atlantic coast of North America, ranging from North Carolina to Texas and the West Indies.
Stiff Pen Shell
Atrina rigida, commonly known as the rigid pen shell, is a bivalve mollusc found from the North Carolina coast through the West Indies and to Brazil. It has attracted research interest in studies of calcification in its nacre as well as other aspects of its ecology.
Eastern Auger
Terebra dislocata, common name the eastern auger, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Terebridae, the auger snails.
Shark Eye
Neverita duplicata, common name the shark eye, is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Naticidae, the moon snails.
White Baby Ear
Sinum perspectivum, common name the white baby ear, is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Naticidae, the moon snails.
Humphrey's wentletrap
Epitonium humphreysii, common name Humphrey's wentletrap, is a species of small predatory or ectoparasitic sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Epitoniidae, the wentletraps....
Atlantic Purple Sea Urchin
Paracentrotus lividus is a species of sea urchin in the family Parechinidae commonly known as the purple sea urchin. It is the type species of the genus and occurs in the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean.
Five-slotted Sand Dollar
Mellita quinquiesperforata (Leske, 1778) is a tropical species of sand dollar, a flat, round marine animal related to sea urchins, sea stars, and other echinoderms.
Lightning Whelk
Sinistrofulgur sinistrum is an edible species of large predatory sea snail or whelk, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Busyconidae, the busycon whelks....
Common Blue Crab
Callinectes sapidus (from the Greek calli- = "beautiful", nectes = "swimmer", and Latin sapidus = "savory"), the Chesapeake blue crab or Atlantic blue crab, or simply blue crab, is a species of crab native to the waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, and introduced internationally.
Lined Starfish
Luidia clathrata is a tropical species of starfish in the family Luidiidae. It is variously known as the slender armed starfish, the gray sea star or the lined sea star. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean.
