Kelp Forest Ecology
Common Subtidal Invertebrates of Central California
- Phylum Annelida
- Class Polychaeta
- Diopatra ornata (ornate tube worm)
- Dodecaceria fewkesi (colonial tube
worm)
- Eudistylia polymorpha (feather duster
worm)
- Salmacina tribranchiata (fragile
tube worm)
- Spirorbis spp. (small calcareous tube worm)
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- Phylum Arthropoda
- Subphylum Crustacea
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Cancer spp. (rock crabs)
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Idotea spp. (isopods)
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- Phylum Bryozoa
- Costazia costazi
- "Diaperoecia californica"
(southern staghorn bryozoan)
- Hippodiplosia insculpta (fluted bryozoan)
- Hippothoa hyalina (or Heteropora
pacifica?)
- Membranipora tuberculata (kelp bryozoan)
- Phidolopora labiata (lacy bryozoan)
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- Phylum Chordata
- Subphylum Urochordata
- Aplidium sp. (colonial tunicate)
- Archidistoma psammion
- Clavelina huntsmani (light bulb tunicate)
- Cystodytes lobatus (lobed tunicate)
- Didemnum carnulentum (colonial
tunicate)
- Styela montereyensis (stalked
tunicate)
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- Phylum Cnidaria
- Class Anthozoa
- Astrangia lajollaensis (colonial
cup coral)
- Balanophyllia elegans (orange cup coral)
- Corynactis californica (strawberry
anemone)
- Metridium giganteum (white-plumed
anemone; =M. farcimen?)
- Pachycerianthus fimbriatus (tube-dwelling
anemone)
- Paracyathus stearnsi (brown cup coral)
- Urticina lofotensis (white spotted
rose anemone)
- Urticina piscivora (fish-eating anemone)
- Class Hydrozoa
- Stylaster californicus (california
hydrocoral)
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- Phylum Echinodermata
- Class Asteroidea
- Asterina miniata (bat star)
- Dermasterias imbricata (leather star)
- Henricia leviuscula (blood star)
- Mediaster aequalis (red sea star)
- Orthasterias koehleri (rainbow star)
- Pisaster brevispinus (pink star)
- Pisaster giganteus (giant spined
star)
- Pisaster ochraceus (ochre star)
- Pycnopodia helianthoides (sunflower
star)
- Class Echinoidea
- Strongylocentrotus franciscanus
(red sea urchin)
- Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (purple
sea urchin)
- Class Ophiuroidea
- Ophioplocus esmarki (smooth brittle
star)
- Ophiopteris papillosa (brittle
star)
- Ophiothrix spiculata (spiny brittle
star)
- Class Holothuroidea
- Cucumaria miniata (orange sea cucumber)
- Parastichopus californicus
(California sea cucumber)
- Parastichopus parvimensis
(warty sea cucumber)
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- Phylum Mollusca
- Class Polyplacophora
- Cryptochiton stelleri (gumboot chiton)
- Tonicella lineata (lined chiton)
- Class Gastropoda
- Anisodoris nobilis (sea lemon)
- Aplysia californica (sea hare)
- Calliostoma annulatum (jewelled top
snail)
- Calliostoma canaliculatum (channeled
top snail)
- Calliostoma gloriosum (glorious
top snail)
- Calliostoma ligatum (blue top snail)
- Cypraea spadicea (chestnut cowry)
- Doriopsilla albopunctata (white
spotted nudibranch)
- Haliotis rufescens (red abalone)
- Hermissenda crassicornis
- Kelletia kelletii (Kellet's whelk)
- Lithopoma gibberosum (red turban
snail)
- Megathura crenulata (giant keyhole
limpet)
- Mitra idae (Ida's miter)
- Petaloconchus montereyensis (Monterey worm snail)
- Polinices lewisii (Lewis's moon snail)
- Serpulorbis squamigerus (scaled
worm snail)
- Tegula brunnea (brown turban snail)
- Tegula montereyi (Monterey turban
snail)
- Tegula pulligo (dusky turban snail)
- Class Bivalvia
- Crassedoma giganteum (rock scallop;
formerly Hinnites giganteus)
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- Phylum Porifera
- Acarnus erithacus (red volcano sponge)
- Hymenamphiastra cyanocrypta (cobalt
sponge)
- Tethya aurantia (orange puffball sponge)
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- Link
to Pacific Coast Nudibranchs Website
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- Link
to Common Intertidal Invertebrates of Santa Cruz
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