Virtual Organism Collection
(Assigned by S. Porteous -Bio 11B - Spring 2016)

Each camera group should collect 25 virtual specimens from the trip (take a picture with an Identifying object, so I know it is not from the internet). The collection should include organisms from each of the groups (Mammals, Birds, Invertebrates, Plants).
Pictures can be uploaded without Identification as long as the location and date/time are identified. There is a box you can check above the ID line ("needs ID!") to request assistance from the community in identifying your organism.

MORRO BAY FIELD TRIP Flora and Fauna List

This listing includes the commonest forms. There are many others.
References: Ricketts & Calvin, “Between Pacific Tides,” Stanford U. Light, “Intertidal Invertebrates of the Central California Coast,” 1970 UC.

Rocky Shores- uppermost horizon (spray)
Alloioplana californica - large flatworm, blue-green, black and white, to 11/2”
Balanus glandula - acorn barnacle, common in great drifts
Acmaea digitalis - fingered limpet
Littorina planaxis - small, grey snail (periwinkle), very high
Lottia gigantea - owl limpet
Ligia sp - pill bug or rock louse, an isopod, (probably occidentalis), to 1 1/2 “
Orchestria sp - sand flea or beach hopper, (probably traskiana), to 1/2”
Tigriopus californicus - copepod, red to orange, found in very high pools, small, to 3mm
Algae - Enteromorpha - yellow-green strands

High Tide Region -
Notoplana acticola - flatworm, tan, up to 1”, does not swim, commonest
Limpets - various, Acmaea asmi - small, black, A. pelta - brown & white,

A. persona - olive, brown & white
Littorina scutulata - very small snail, slim, checkered brown or black
Tegula funebralis - black turban snail, very abundant, may live 25 years
Cirriformia luxuriosa - hairy gill worm, found in mud and debris
Serpulid worms - white, calcareous tubes, Spirorbis sp
Amphipods - sand fleas, (flattened laterally), Melita palmata abundant
Isopods - pill bugs, (flattened dorsiventrally), Cirolana harfordi commonest
Pachygrapsus crassipes - rock crab, dark red or green, small seldom exceeding 2 1/2”
Pagurus - several, commonest is samuelis characterized by red antennae and blue bands around the tips of its feet, hermit crabs
Amphipholis pugetana - brittle star, arms to less than 1”, sift substrate for this one
Algae - Pelvetia, Fucus, Ulva, Postelsia, Endocladia

Midtide Region - to 0’
Exposed Rock -
Anthopleura elegantissma - small green anemone, very numerous, carpets many rocks
Limpets - various
Mytilus californianus - common mussel
Nuttallina californica - sea cradle, small chiton
Pollicipes polymerus - goose barnacle
Tetraclita squamosa - (ssp rubescens), red acorn barnacle
Pisaster ochraceous - common purple star, (orange phase too)
P. giganteus - blue to deep blue star, colorful

Protected rock -
Haliclona permollis - purple encrusting sponge, oscula frequent and volcano-like
Isociona lithophoenix - vermilion red sponge, lumpy
Ophlitaspongia pennata - coral red sponge, starry oscula
Plocamis karykina - bright red sponge, to 1/2”+ thick, oscula irregular- large and far apart
Corynactis californica - small anemones, color variable- red, white, pink, brown, lavender, tentacles tipped with white
Epiactis prolifera - deep red anemone, diameter exceeds height, white lines on base
Turban snails - (Tegula brunnea - brown)
Thais emarginata - rock snail, stripes
Crepidula adunca - slipper shell, boat shell
C. nummeria - slipper shell, flat, white with golden brown skin
Katharina tunicata - black chiton
Tonicella lineata - lined chiton
Haliotus cracherodii - black abalone

Nudibranchs -
Dendrodoris fulva - yellow with small; white dots
Diaulual sandiegensis - light, brown-grey with dark spots
Hopkinsia rosacea - vivid rose-pink
Triopha carpenter i - small, white with orange-red dots, a surface swimmer

Midtide region, protected rock continued -
Rostanga pulchra - red, avg- 1/2”, look for on red sponges
Hemigrapsus nudus - purple shore crab
Petrolisthes cinitipes - porcelain crab, flat, small. large pincers, carapace to 1/2”
Leptasterias aequalis - six armed star, large, to 2 1/2”
L. pusilla - six armed star, small, to 1”
Patiria miniata - sea bat, bat star, color variable- red, orange, blond, mottled

Under rocks-
Turbellarians - (Notoplana)
Emplectonema gracile - nemertine worm, pale yellow-green dorsum, white ventrum 1”-4” contracted
Aletes squamigerus - fixed snail, resembles tube worm
Halosydna brevisetosa - scale worm (polynoid), to 1”, predaceous (some become ‘parasitic’ in tubes of other worms)
Betaeus longidactylus - long fingered shrimp, males possess long claws
Brittle stars - (Ophioplocus esmarki - to 3 1/2”, spines at right angles from arms)
Blenny eels -
Xiphister astropurpureus - black prickleback, white band on tail
X. mucosus - rock prickleback
Sicyogaster meandrica - cling fish, (Gobiesox)
Also- many nereid worms (Polychaeta)

Burrowing -
Sipunculid worms - peanut worms- (resemble peanut when contracted)
Phascolosoma agassizi - common
Dendrostoma pyroides - flowering peanut worm, rich brown with long plume- like tentacles

Tide pool -
Brittle stars - various
Leptosynapta albicans - white sea cucumber, lacks respiratory tree and tube feet, feeds with feathery tentacles.
Polychoerus carmelensis - turbellarian, very small, organge-red
Spirontocaris picta - transparent shrimp, pale green
Cottid fishes - (Clinocottus sp)
Algae - Pelvetia, Ulva, Enteromorpha, Fucus, Gigartina, Porphyra

Low Tide- 0’ to -1.8’
Exposed rock -
Purple stars, mussels, goose barnacles, limpets, chitons

Protected rock -
Sponges- various- gritty to touch, Rhabdodermella, Leuconia, Leucosolenia, Stelletta clarella - dirty white, biscuit-like, spicules are large and dangerous
Anthopleura xanthogrammica - great green anemone
Tealia crassicornis - beaded anemone, red, large, to 4” in diameter
Low tide - protected rock (continued)
Abietinaria anquina - hydroid, fern-like, 1/2” wide
Aglaophenia latirostris - ostrich plume hydroid
Allopora porphyra - hydrocoral, vivid purple, never expands
Eudendrium californicum -hydroid, bushy, to 6”, red and white
Carveia annulata - hydroid, uniform orange, to 2”
Hydractinia miller i - Hydroid, pink and fuzzy

Entoprocta-
Barentsia ramosa - thickly matted
Pedicellina cernua - furry stalk of algae

Enteroprocta - (Bryozoa)
Flustrella cervicornis - encrusts on branching algae
Tricellaria occidentalis - can be found clumping at base of eel grass, resembles Obelia
Bugula californica - bushy
B. pacifica - commonest
Acmaea mitra - white cap limpet, dunce cap limpet

Acmaea scutum- limpet, common, stripes on border of ventral aspect of shell
Fissurella volcano- keyhole limpet, characterized by red ridges
Haliotus rufescens- red abalone
Anisodoris noblis - nudibranch, sea lemon, bright yellow with a white gill plume
Archidoris montereyensis - nudibranch, yellow with irregular dark spots
Cancer antennarius - rock crab, large spotted pincers, carapace to 5”
C. magister - large crab, (Dungeness), adults rare in this region
C. productus - similar to antennarius, larger
Pagurus hemiphilli - retiring hermit, this is the only hermit found this far down
Pugettia producta - kelp crab, spider crab, dark olive-green
Caprellids - mantid-like crustaceans, (Caprella, Metacaprella)
Pycnogonum stearnsi - sea spider, very small, -1/4”, feeds on Cnidaria, also found in Mytilus
Lecythorhynchus marginatus - sea spider, to 1/2”
Stichopus californicus - sea cucumber, brown, red, orange, to 18”
Strongylocentrotus purpuratus - purple urchin, (small green urchins are probably juveniles)
Henricia sp - blood red star, arms are finger-like
Linckia sp - star, color variable, arms finger-like
Pycnopodia helianthoides - sun star, many arms
Tunicates - various - slippery to touch, many colors

Low tide - protected rock
Styela montereyensis - sea club, often solitary
Clavelina huntsmani - club shaped, colonial
Amaroucium californicum - creamy yellow, common

Fishes- various-
Algae - Phyllospadix (eel grass), Zostera (eel grass), Amphiroa (coralline),
Egregia - elongated, leathery stipe with midrib, to 20’
(Acmaea insessia specifically limited to this) less ↑