Download specimen ID text - Oregon State University

Coon striped Shrimp Pandalus danae
There are 87 species of shrimp in Northwest waters but only seven
are caught commercially. All seven are in the family Pandalidae.
Coon striped shrimp are not a commercial species although they
are taken
as incidental catch in trawl and trap fishery for Shrimp. They have
an
interesting life cycle as they spend the early part of the life Year (1
and
2) as males but the latter part of their life as females. They feed on
small crustaceans such as mycids, euphausiids and copepods.
OSU zoologists who are looking at escape responses of prey from
predators study the red rock crab, Cancer productus.
Researchers are studying metamorphosis (changes in form) and early
mortality in Dover sole ( ) and Pacific sanddab ( )
Because nudibranchs have large neural axons (nerve impulse
conductors), scientists can insert electrodes to record nerve activity in
free moving individuals.
REDTAIL SURFPERCH - Amphistichus rhodoterus
Since 1987, researchers from the Department of Fish and Wildlife at
OSU have been studying how different water temperatures during
pregnancy affects reproduction and population abundance.
PACIFIC OYSTER - Crassostrea gigas
Researchers here at the Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) are
developing an artificial diet to feed oysters. This diet, composed of
small beads called microcapsules, will contain all the nutrients
necessary for healthy growth and development of oyster larvae and
spat.
SEA HARES - Aplysia californica
Researchers at the Hatfield Marine Science Center use sea hares to
learn how brain cells are involved in the learning process, and more
fundamentally, in how nerve cells are involved in generating many
different types of behaviors. This has led to new theories about how
brains work in general, bringing together such diverse fields as
chemistry, neurobiology, physics and the chaos theory.
COHO SALMON - Oncorhynchus kisutch
Infectious diseases have a large impact on salmon fisheries in the
Pacific Northwest. Research is currently underway at the Hatfield
Marine Science Center to help us better understand some on these
diseases, and hopefully will lead to a better ability to control these
diseases in the future. Coho salmon are among the species of
salmonids that are currently being used in this research
European green crab (Carcinus maenas) - This inadvertently
introduced species may adversely affect native populations of clams,
mussels, oysters or other crabs.
Pile perch (Rhacochilus vacca) and Redtail surfperch (Amphistichus
rhodoterrus) give birth to live young.
Dulse (Palmaria mollis), a type of red algae, is used by OSU
researchers in aquaculture systems designed to raise red abalone
(Haliotis rufescens).
Scientists’ quest for new medicines has led to marine algae, such as
Laminaria. Compounds that may serve as anti-inflammatory or anticancer drugs are being isolated from common seaweed.
Both the large plumose anemone (Metridium senile) and the much
smaller pink tipped green anemone (Anthopleura elegantissima) use
stinging cells called nematocysts to capture their prey.
Orange cup corals (Balanophyllia elegans) and zoanthids (Epizoanthus
scotinus) grow in clonal clusters of genetically identical individuals.
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Agnonopsis vulsa Northern Spearnose Poacher
Amphistichus rhodoterus Redtail Surfperch
Anarrhichthys ocellatus Wolf-Eel
Anoplarchus purpurescens High Coxcomb
Anoplopoma fimbria Sablefish
Apodichthys flavidus Penpoint Gunnel
Atherinops affinis Topsmelt
Aulorrhybchus Tube-snout
Cebidichthys violaceus Monkeyface Prickleback
Clinocottus globiceps Mosshead Sculpin
Coryphopterus nicholsii Blackeye Goby
Cymatogaster aggregata Shiner Surfperch
Embiotoca lateralis Striped Surfperch
Enophrys bison Buffalo Sculpin
Gasterosteus aculeatus Threespine Stickleback
Hemilepidotus spinosus Brown Irish Lord
Hexagrammos decagrammus Kelp Greenling
Hexagrammos stelleri Whitespotted Greenling
Hyperprosopon ellipticum Silver Perch
Leptocottus armatus Pacific Staghorn Sculpin
Odontopyxis trispinosa Pygmy Poacher
Oligocottus snyderi Tidepool Sculpin
Oncorhynchus kisutch Coho Salmon
Onocorhynchus tshawytscha Chinook Salmon
Ophiodon elongatus Lingcod
Oxylebius pictus Painted Greenling
Parophyrus vetulus English Sole
Phanerodon furcatus White Sea Perch
Pleuronichthys coenosus C-O Sole
Psettichthys melanostictus Sand Sole
Raja binoculata Big Skate
Scorpaenichthys marmoratus Cabezone
Sebastes caurinus Copper Rockfish
Sebastes flavlidus Yellow Rockfish
Sebastes maliger Quillback Rockfish
Sebastes melanops Black Rockfish
Sebastes miniatus Vermillion Rockfish
Sebastes nebulosus China Rockfish
Sebastes paucispinis Bocaccio
Sebastes proriger Redstripe Rockfish
Sebastes rastrelliger Grass Rockfish
Sebastes ruberrimus Yelloweye Rockfish
Syngnathus griseolineatus Pipefish
Triakis semifasciata Leopard Shark
Xiphister atropurpureus Black Prickleback
Xiphister mucosus Rock Prickleback
Wolf-Eel:
*Long eel-like body that may reach 8 feet in length and 40 pounds.
Color gray with circular patterns over entire body. Head with very
large canine and molar teeth for crushing crabs and shellfish.
•Common inhabitant of rocky reef and often found within a cave or
crevice.
Sablefish:
•Elongate body that may reach a length of 40 inches. Color is
blackish gray to white below. Found at depths to 6,000 feet.
Maximum age of 53 years.
•Important commercial fish for Oregon trawl, longline, and pot
fishers. ODFW conducts extensive sampling of landings and
research to determine depth distribution, and to aid in assessing
stock condition.
Topsmelt:
*A small (to about 14 inches) slender, smelt-like fish found in large
schools. It has a small mouth and it's first dorsal fin very small (in
true smelt, the first dorsal fin is large). Color is blue gray to green
above and silver below with brilliant silver band bordered above
with blue. Maximum age is about 7 years.
redtail surfperch:
*Color is silver with olive-green or brassy mottling. It has about 10
vertical dark bars on side and a red tail. Length to 16 inches.
Maximum age of about 14 years.
*It is a livebear, producing large live young rather than laying eggs.
*A common sport fish which is caught along open sandy beaches.
*Extensive ODFW tagging and sport catch sampling is conducted
to determine migration & possibly stock size.
Shiner Surfperch:
*A small surfperch species (length to 7 inches) that has sides with
silvery horizontal bars separated by dark bars, and there are also
three vertical yellow bars on the side. Spawning males are very dark.
*It is easily caught by children fishing in bays.
*Females release large, fully developed young.
Striped Surfperch:
*Dark colored surfperch (copper background color with dark
brown overlay on back) that has over 15 dark blue horizontal stripes
on it's side. Length to 15 inches. Maximum age is about 14 years.
*It is found in bays along shallow, rocky shores and around pilings.
*Females release large (about 2 inches long), fully developed
young.
Silver Surfperch:
*Color is silver on sides and belly with a rose-pink tail. It has
narrow, vertical, dusky bars on sides. Deeply forked tail. Length to
10.5 inches. Maximum age is about 6 or 7 years.
*Found near open-coast beaches and adjacent bays.
*Females release small 1-inch sized, fully developed young.
White Surfperch:
*It is predominately silver in color with dusky speckling on back
and a thin black line at base of soft dorsal fin. It has a deeply forked
tail. Length to 12.4 inches. Maximum age is about 7 years.
*It is found along sandy bottoms of shallow bays and around
pilings.
Cabezone:
*Large member of sculpin family that may reach 30 pounds and 39
inches. Large head. It is reddish to greenish in color with intense
dark and light mottling. Larger paler areas frequently edged with
darker shades.
*Excellent eating fish taken by sport fishers and commercial hookand-line fishers. Important species in commercial live fish fishery.
*Eggs are poisonous.
Brown Irish Lord:
*Moderate sized sculpin reaching 10 inches. Large head. It is
brown in color, and is barred with 4 dark saddles over top half.
Kelp Greenling (sea trout):
*Female is gray-brown with bright golden to light brown small
spots on body and head. Male is dark gray with large bright blue
spots on head and sides. Length to 21 inches. Maximum age of __
years.
*It is common in sport catches off rocky coastline and jetties.
*Males guard egg masses found on rocky areas.
*Valuable fish in commercial live fish fishery.
Painted Greenling:
*It has a grayish-brown body with brown and dark red vertical
bars and mottling. This small greenling with an elongate pointed
head is rarely over 6 inches.
Whitespotted Greenling:
*It is light brown to greenish, tinged with red and conspicuous
white sport on body. Length to 19 inches.
*It lives on shallow sandy bottoms near marine plants growing
near rocky outcrops.
*Gold colored males guard egg masses found on rocky areas.
Lingcod:
*It has a large head and elongate body. Color is variable, but with
dark mottling in shades of brown, gray or green on the sides and
paler below. Length to about 5-feet and over 50 pounds. Maximum
age of 21 years.
*Females move into near shore rocky areas to lay mass of eggs.
Males fertilize the egg mass and then remain with the eggs to protect
them from predators.
*It is an important trophy fish for sport fishers because of large size
and excellent food quality.
*Common in commercial trawl and hook-and-line catches.
Especially important and valuable in live fish fishery.
*Extensive ODFW sampling takes place on commercial landings,
and in 1977-78, ODFW tagged large numbers from Stonewall Bank
(rockpile) off Newport and Seal Rock area to study movement.
Restrictive catch regulations are now in place due to suspected poor
stock condition.
English Sole:
*Body is flattened and has a uniform brown color on eyed side
with a small mouth and pointed head. Maximum age of 22 years.
*Young spend first year in very shallow waters including bays.
*This is a common flatfish in commercial trawl catches from near
shore waters (usually 100 to 500 feet).
*ODFW has conducted extensive tagging off Newport to study fish
movement, and commercial landings are sampled.
C-O Sole:
*Body is flattened and the eyed side of the fish is brown to light
green. It has a dark spot and crescent markings on the tail form the
"initials" C-O and also a black, eye sized spot on the middle of the
body. It has a large mouth.
*This is an uncommon flatfish off Oregon, usually found in very
shallow water at a depth less than 60 feet.
Sand Sole:
*Body is flattened and the eyed side is brown to light green. It has
a large mouth. The skin on the eyed side feels rough like sandpaper.
*This is a common flatfish in shallow water (often at depths less
than 150 feet) near sandy beaches.
*It is excellent eating quality and is sometimes taken by sport
fishers casting into the surf and commercial trawlers fishing near
shore.
Big Skate:
*The body is flattened with pectoral fin attached to side of head
and continuous with the body. Very large and common skate that
can reach lengths of over 6 feet and 200 pounds. Recognized by large
round circle at the base of each large pectoral fin. Usually found at
depths of 10 to 360 feet.
*Eggs are expelled in horny egg case that may be up to a foot in
length and contain up to seven eggs. Large embryos in egg cases
look like small skates. Egg cases are sometimes found washed up on
beaches.
*The flesh from the large pectoral fins is excellent for eating and
has a modest commercial value.
Copper Rockfish:
*It's variable coloration is brown to copper with blotches of white
on sides and along rear 2/3 of lateral line, and white in spiny dorsal
fin.
*It is abundant in shallow water and bays among rocks or in kelp
beds. Usually non-schooling.
*All rockfish species have internal fertilization and release tiny
larvae.
Yellowtail Rockfish:
*It is Olive green color with yellowish fins. Maximum age of 64
years.
*All rockfish species have internal fertilization and release tiny
larvae.
*Important in commercial trawl fishery. Dense schools over
offshore rocky reefs, and commonly caught in 400 to 700 feet.
*OSU research conducted in late 1980's & early 1990's to determine
migration, and movement. ODFW routinely samples commercial
landings.
Quillback Rockfish:
*Its brown colored body is mottled with yellow and orange and
has a bright yellow area running through spiny dorsal and down into
upper half of side. Large spines of dorsal fin are deeply notched.
*This is a non-schooling rockfish usually found "resting" on rocky
bottom at moderate depths (100 to about 475 feet).
*All rockfish species have internal fertilization and release tiny
larvae.
Black Rockfish:
*It is dark gray to black colored with small black spots in dorsal
fins and on sides. Maximum age of at least 28 years.
*It is the most abundant species in Oregon's charter boat fishery.
*This near shore species is found schooling near rocky areas
(common at surface to 100 feet).
*ODFW has conducted extensive tagging in the Tillamook and
Newport areas to determine movement and coast wide sampling to
determine stock condition. *All rockfish species have internal
fertilization and release tiny larvae.
Vermilion Rockfish:
*It is a bright, vermilion red colored rockfish with 3-obscure orange
stripes radiating from each eye. Maximum age is over 18 years.
*This species is found primarily off southern Oregon over rocky
reefs at moderate depths (200 -500 feet).
*All rockfish species have internal fertilization and release tiny
larvae.
China Rockfish:
* The body is black and mottled with yellow. It has a broad yellow
stripe from spiny dorsal fin down and along lateral line (middle of
side).
*It is a solitary rockfish found on shallow rocky shores or reefs
usually at depths of about 60 to 400 feet).
*It is an important commercial species in live fish fishery.
*All rockfish species have internal fertilization and release tiny
larvae.
Bocaccio:
*It is a large (to 36 inches and 15 pounds) olive brown to olive
orange rockfish with vary large mouth. Maximum age of 36 years.
*Found in schools at moderate depths (500 - 1,000 feet).
*It is an important commercial species in California.
*All rockfish species have internal fertilization and release tiny
larvae.
Redstripe Rockfish:
*It is a slender light red rockfish with olive on back and a red stripe
along lateral line (middle of side). Maximum age of 41 years.
*It is found schooling over deep (600-1,000 feet) rocky bottom.
*All rockfish species have internal fertilization and release tiny
larvae.
Grass Rockfish:
*It is blackish-green in color with pale mottling. Maximum age is
over 12 years.
*It is found primarily off southern Oregon over shallow rocky reefs
and especially common in kelp beds (usually found in water less than
30 feet deep). *All rockfish species have internal fertilization and
release tiny larvae.
Yelloweye Rockfish:
*This large rockfish (length to 36 inches) is orange-yellow washed
with pink, and juveniles is darker with two horizontal light stripes
along the sides. Maximum age of 83 years.
*It is found over rocky reefs at moderate depths (150 - 1,200 feet).
*One of the best eating rockfish and because of large size, it is
prized in the ocean sport fishery.
*All rockfish species have internal fertilization and release tiny
larvae.
The English sole (Pleuronectes vetulus, formerly Parophrys vetulus),
is a flatfish that's also sometimes called the lemon sole. The English
sole is prized for its flavor, and it lives in coastal waters from the
Bering Sea to Baja California, at depths ranging from very shallow
waters to 550*meters. Like all flatfish, it begins its life swimming
with its bodied oriented vertically like other fish. However, when the
sole larva metamorphoses to the juvenile stage, the fish's left eye
migrates across the top of its head to the right side, and the fish
begins living on sandy or muddy bottoms with its right side, and
both eyes, oriented towards the water surface, while its left side rests
on the sediment. The sole then feeds on small animals it finds in the
sediment. The English sole commonly buries itself in the sediments,
with only its eyes showing, and it's then very hard to see. The
English sole is usually only a seasonal resident of west coast
estuaries. In the spring the larvae migrate into the estuaries,
metamorphose, and the juveniles use the estuary as a nursery habitat
over the summer. Most leave the estuary and move into coastal
waters in the fall, but a few may overwinter and leave the next year.
Because of its close association with bottom sediments, the English
sole has been extensively used in studies of the effects of pollutants
that are found in the sediments, such as PCB's and pesticides.
Scientists at the EPA are studying the growth rates of juvenile
English sole collected at different locations in the Yaquina estuary to
learn if changes in sediment composition, such as those resulting
from logging, dredging, or urbanization, are affecting the English
sole growth rates.
Hi Bill,
Walt Nelson asked me to give you the skinny on ghost shrimp for
your display. First, you should consider using the currently vogue
scientific name: Neotrypaea californiensis. I liked Callianassa better,
but alas, the taxonomists feel otherwise. Because they are
ecologically similar and because I am studying both spp., I have
included mud shrimp (Upogebia pugettensis) in the text below; if
you prefer, I could write separate pieces for each species. I can also
prepare a map showing the distribution of these species (and
eelgrass) in Yaquina Bay if that would be of interest. Here goes:
Ghost Shrimp (Neotrypaea californiensis) and Mud Shrimp
(Upogebia pugettensis) live in deep burrows on intertidal and
shallow subtidal mudflats of Pacific coast estuaries, ranging from
Alaska to Baja California. These shrimp can be very abundant (more
than 200 per square meter) and occupy about 50% of intertidal, soft
sediment habitats. Both shrimps construct complex, branching
burrows that can extend deeper than 1 meter below the sediment
surface. Ghost Shrimp tend to live in sandier sediments in the upper
intertidal zone, feed on sediment organic matter (i.e., they are deposit
feeders), and continuously burrow through the sediment while
foraging. Mud Shrimp, by contrast, tend to live in muddier
sediments in the low intertidal and subtidal sediments, feed on
suspended organic matter (i.e., they are filter feeders), and are less
active burrowers. These shrimp are considered to be ecological
*keystone species* of estuaries, because their high abundance and
active burrowing (and the disturbance this causes) determines the
diversity and abundance of other species that live on the tideflats.
Through their digging behavior and the irrigation of their burrows,
Ghost and Mud Shrimp also influence the turbidity and
concentration of nutrients in the estuary water column. Scientists at
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency laboratory at HMSC are
studying how water quality and human activities affect the
abundance of these shrimp, and in turn, how changes in the
abundance of these shrimp affects the biodiversity of tideflat
organisms and the water quality of Pacific coast estuaries.
Anemone / Algae Symbiosis
Laboratory of Virginia Weis, Dept. of Zoology, OSU
What are these animals? What you are seeing here is not just an
intertidal anemone (scientific name Anthopleura elegantissima) but a
mutually beneficial symbiosis between the anemone and microscopic
algae living inside of the animal. The algae give the animal food they
get from performing photosynthesis. In exchange the anemone
provides the algae a safe place to live and lots nutrients, similar to
fertilizer. The anemone can play host to either a brown alga or a
green alga and it is these algal partners that give the anemones their
brown or green hues.
What do we do with the anemones? We are studying the inner
workings of this mutualistic partnership in our laboratory on the
OSU campus in Corvallis, in the Department of Zoology. We grow
the animals here as “broodstock”, meaning that we collect eggs and
sperm that they release and raise and study the juveniles.
What questions are we asking in our studies? Even though this
anemone is a very common inhabitant of the intertidal environment
on the West Coast, we know very little about how this symbiosis
works. We are asking questions such as:
 How do juvenile anemones find and take up new algae? How do
anemones recognize a symbiotic alga?
 What makes juvenile anemones choose green or brown algae?
Does it depend on what kind of environment they are in?
 How do the anemones and algae communicate with one another?
What signals pass back and forth between them to help them
regulate their partnership?
Why are these studies important? There are two things that make
the study of this symbiosis important. The first is that basic
knowledge of how organisms function helps us appreciate them
more and enables us to protect them and help them thrive. The
second is that this symbiosis is closely related to corals reef
symbioses. Corals are animals much like anemones and they contain
microscopic algae in their tissues too. Coral reefs are threatened with
destruction worldwide. Since studying corals is often difficult, as
they occur in remote places with no laboratory facilities, we can
study anemones instead. We can then apply what we know about
anemones to corals, thereby improving our knowledge of these
highly threatened organisms, and helping to preserve them.
Hemocyanins are very large copper-containing respiratory proteins
found in the blood of arthropods and molluscs. Blue in color, they
serve the same function in oxygen transport as hemoglobin does in
the blood of vertebrates. Octopus hemocyanin has been the subject of
research by Dr. K.E. van Holde and Dr. Karen Miller at Oregon State
University for the last 15 years. It is an enormous molecule with a
molecular weight of over 3 million. It is composed of ten subunits,
each of which contains 7 oxygen binding sites, arranged like a string
of beads. These subunits assemble and fold to become a hollow
cylindrical structure which circulates directly in the blood, not
contained in blood cells. The enormous size of molluscan
hemocyanins, (some gastropod molecules are 9 million molecular
weight or more), and the fact that they are studded with unusual
carbohydrates, make them potent stimulators of the human immune
system. Keyhhole limpet hemocyanin is presently undergoing clinical
trials as a very effective therapy for bladder cancer. Having
determined the function and structure of the protein, Drs van Holde
and Miller are presently looking at the structure of the gene for this
protein and attempting to produce modified versions of the protein
in order to understand the precise role of different parts of the
molecule in determining its function.
Pacific staghorn sculpin (Leptocottus armatus ) Recognized by the
antler-like spine on the gill cover and the dark posterior spot on the
rear portion of the first dorsal fin. Often found in bays and inlets
over mud and silt bottoms.
Gunnels (general) ñ Family Pholidae. Gunnels are small elongate
fishes resembling eels. The dorsal and anal fins are long and
continuous with the tail fin. Mouth and teeth are small, and they are
most often found in shallow waters (including the intertidal) among
rocks and seaweeds. Six species are known from the Oregon coast.
Penpoint gunnel (Apodicthys flavidus ) Name comes from the long
pen-nib shaped spine at the front of the anal fin.
Saddleback gunnel (Pholis ornata ) Name comes from the series of U
or V shaped markings along its upper sides.
Petrale sole (Eopsetta jordani ) The relatively large size (to 27") and
firm flesh of this fish make is a valuable target of commercial
fisheries. It is relatively large-mouthed and eats other fishes and
larger invertebrates.
Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi ) This silvery schooling fish is very
important to Native American and commercial fisheries. It is
available to fisheries when it spawns in in-shore waters and its eggs
form thick mats on algae and rocks.
Pacific sanddab (Citharichthys sordidus ) A left-eye flounder (both
eyes on the left side of the head) usually found on soft bottoms at
depths of over 50 feet.
Starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus ) A right-eyed flounder easily
recognized by the prominent dark bands on the dorsal, anal and tail
fins. Name comes form the star-shaped plates on the body (which
create a rough texture also lending the name "grindstone").
northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax ) A small, silvery schooling fish
that is sporadically abundant off Oregon. Usually under 7" long and
a relative of the Peruvian anchovy that is the basis for one of the
world's largest fisheries. Very large mouth and an overhanging
upper jaw; small prey are taken by filter feeding. It is the occasional
target of commercial fishing for bait, meal and oil.
Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax ) A silvery schooling fish
recognized by the spindle-like body, fine lines on the gill covers and
black spots on the sides. Also known as a pilchard, this herring
relative was the focus of the large California fishery referenced in
Hemmingway's Cannery Row. Maximum length usually under 12".
jacksmelt (Atherinopsis californiensis ) ñ A silvery fish, greenish-blue
on top, with a mid-line stripe. Common in inshore areas and bays;
central Oregon is near the northern limit of its range. Size to 17
inches.
leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata ) ñ A relatively small (maximum
length 6.5 feet) coastal shark; Oregon near the northern limit of its
range; not considered dangerous. Black crossbars and spots on a
dark grey body contribute to its common name. Like most sharks
and rays, this species bears live young.
MICROSCOPIC TANK 1
Big skate
(Raja binoculata)
*The body is flattened with pectoral fin attached to side of head and
continuous with the body. Very large and common skate that can
reach lengths of over 6 feet and 200 pounds. Recognized by large
round circle at the base of each large pectoral fin. Usually found at
depths of 10 to 360 feet.
*Eggs are expelled in horny egg case that may be up to a foot in
length and contain up to seven eggs. Large embryos in egg cases
look like small skates. Egg cases are sometimes found washed up on
beaches.
*The flesh from the large pectoral fins is excellent for eating and
has a modest commercial value.
Sand sole
(Psettichthys melanostictus)
*Body is flattened and the eyed side is brown to light green. It has a
large mouth. The skin on the eyed side feels rough like sandpaper.
*This is a common flatfish in shallow water (often at depths less
than 150 feet) near sandy beaches.
*It is excellent eating quality and is sometimes taken by sport
fishers casting into the surf and commercial trawlers fishing near
shore.
White surfperch
(Phanerodon furcatus)
*It is predominately silver in color with dusky speckling on back and
a thin black line at base of soft dorsal fin. It has a deeply forked tail.
Length to 12.4 inches. Maximum age is about 7 years.
*It is found along sandy bottoms of shallow bays and around
pilings.
Bent-nose macoma clam (Macoma nasulta)
Pacific staghorn sculpin (Leptocottus armatus)
Penpoint gunnel (Apodicthys flavidus)
Saddleback gunnel (Pholis ornata)
Sand shrimp (Callianassa californiensis)
Dock shrimp (Pnadalus danae)
Global Tank
Existing Species
petrale Sole
(Eopsetta jordani)
jacksmelt
(Atherinopsis californiensis)
Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi)
A schooling fish that moves into the bay to spawn, the pacific herring
is caught for it’s delicious roe or as a baitfish. While historically runs
occurred in many bays, the primary run today is in Yaquina Bay.
Twenty percent of the run, or about 70 metric tons of 3-4 year fish are
landed.
white surfperch (Phanerodon furcatus)
*It is predominately silver in color with dusky speckling on back and
a thin black line at base of soft dorsal fin. It has a deeply forked tail.
Length to 12.4 inches. Maximum age is about 7 years.
*It is found along sandy bottoms of shallow bays and around
pilings.
Pacific Sanddab (Citharichthys sordidus)
Researchers are studying metamorphosis (changes in form) and early
mortality
English Sole
(Pleuronectes vetulus)
*Body is flattened and has a uniform brown color on eyed side with a
small mouth and pointed head. Maximum age of 22 years.
*Young spend first year in very shallow waters including bays.
*This is a common flatfish in commercial trawl catches from near
shore waters (usually 100 to 500 feet).
*ODFW has conducted extensive tagging off Newport to study fish
movement, and commercial landings are sampled.
Likely Species
Starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus)
northern anchovy
(Engraulis mordax)
Pacific sardine
(Sardinops sagax)
leopard shark
(Triakis semifasciata)
Sand sole
(Psettichthys melanostictus)
*Body is flattened and the eyed side is brown to light green. It has a
large mouth. The skin on the eyed side feels rough like sandpaper.
*This is a common flatfish in shallow water (often at depths less
than 150 feet) near sandy beaches.
*It is excellent eating quality and is sometimes taken by sport
fishers casting into the surf and commercial trawlers fishing near
shore.
Micro Rack
Existing Species
pile perch
(Rhacochilus vacca)
red abalone
(Haliotis rufescens)
blue rockfish
(Sebaster mystinus)
dulse
(Palmaria mollis)
colonal plumose anemone
(Metridium senile)
orange cup coral
(Balanophyllia elegans)
strawberry corallimorpharian
(Corynactis californica)
European green crab
(Carcinus maenas)
This inadvertently introduced species may adversely affect native
populations of clams, mussels, oysters or other crabs.
redtail surfperch
(Amphistichus rhodoterus)
*Color is silver with olive-green or brassy mottling. It has about 10
vertical dark bars on side and a red tail. Length to 16 inches.
Maximum age of about 14 years.
*It is a livebear, producing large live young rather than laying eggs.
*A common sport fish which is caught along open sandy beaches.
*Extensive ODFW tagging and sport catch sampling is conducted
to determine migration & possibly stock size.
red rock crab
(Cancer productus)
OSU zoologists who are looking at escape responses of prey from
predators study the red rock crab.
copper rockfish
(Sebastes caurinus)
*It's variable coloration is brown to copper with blotches of white on
sides and along rear 2/3 of lateral line, and white in spiny dorsal fin.
*It is abundant in shallow water and bays among rocks or in kelp
beds. Usually non-schooling.
*All rockfish species have internal fertilization and release tiny
larvae.
brown Irish lord
(Hemilepidotus spinosus)
*Moderate sized sculpin reaching 10 inches. Large head. It is brown
in color, and is barred with 4 dark saddles over top half.
Likely Species
Assortment of macroalgae
CaliforniaSea Hare
(Aplysia californica)
Because nudibranchs have large neural axons (nerve impulse
conductors), scientists can insert electrodes to record nerve activity in
free moving individuals.
black rockfish
(Sebastes melanops)
*It is dark gray to black colored with small black spots in dorsal fins
and on sides. Maximum age of at least 28 years.
*It is the most abundant species in Oregon's charter boat fishery.
*This near shore species is found schooling near rocky areas
(common at surface to 100 feet).
*ODFW has conducted extensive tagging in the Tillamook and
Newport areas to determine movement and coast wide sampling to
determine stock condition. *All rockfish species have internal
fertilization and release tiny larvae.
shiner perch
(Cymatogaster aggregata)
*A small surfperch species (length to 7 inches) that has sides with
silvery horizontal bars separated by dark bars, and there are also
three vertical yellow bars on the side. Spawning males are very dark.
*It is easily caught by children fishing in bays.
*Females release large, fully developed young.
List of species grouped by exhibit.
Scientific names were verified by the AFS Common and Scientific
Names of Fishes, 5th edition.
I have grouped the species for each tank into two categories: existing
and likely. I thought Craig might find it useful to go ahead and make
ID display cards for species that have a high likelihood of being on
exhibit while he is in the process of making the ones for existing
species
Global Tank
Existing Species
Pacific herring
(Clupea pallasi)
jacksmelt
(Atherinopsis californiensis)
white surfperch (Phanerodon furcatus)
petrale Sole
(Eopsetta jordani)
Pacific Sanddab (Citharichthys sordidus)
English Sole
(Pleuronectes vetulus)
Likely Species
northern anchovy
(Engraulis mordax)
Pacific sardine
(Sardinops sagax)
leopard shark
(Triakis semifasciata)
Sand sole
(Psettichthys melanostictus)
Starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus)
Bird's Eye
Existing Species
china Rockfish (Sebastes nebulosus)
copper rockfish (Sebastes caurinus)
quillback rockfish
(Sebaster maliger)
blue rockfish
(Sebastes mystinus)
sunflower star
(Pycnopodia helianthoides)
ocher star
(Pisaster ochraceus)
bat star
(Patiria miniata)
rainbow star
(Orthasterias koehleri)
leather star
(Dermasterias imbricata)
clonal plumose anemone
(Metridium senile)
giant green anemone (Anthopleura xanthogrammica)
strawberry anemone (Corynactis californica)
crusty red anemone (Urticina columbiana)
clonal anemone (Anthropleura elegantissima)
mottled anemone
(Urticina crassicornis)
red sea urchin
(Strongylocentrotus franciscanus)
Bird's Eye Tank (continued)
Likely Species
No additions anticipated
Micro Rack
Existing Species
pile perch
(Rhacochilus vacca)
redtail surfperch
(Amphistichus rhodoterus)
red abalone
(Haliotis rufescens)
European green crab
(Carcinus maenas)
red rock crab
(Cancer productus)
copper rockfish
(Sebastes caurinus)
blue rockfish
(Sebaster mystinus)
dulse
(Palmaria mollis)
colonal plumose anemone
(Metridium senile)
orange cup coral
(Balanophyllia elegans)
strawberry corallimorpharian
(Corynactis californica)
brown Irish lord
(Hemilepidotus spinosus)
Likely Species
Assortment of macroalgae (Bill should provide taxonomic
information)
CaliforniaSea Hare
(Aplysia californica)
black rockfish
(Sebastes melanops)
shiner perch
(Cymatogaster aggregata)
Micro A
Existing Species
ghost shrimp
(Callianassa californiensis)
penpoint gunnel (Apodichthys flavidus)
English sole
(Pleuronectes vetulus)
white surfperch (Phanerodon furcatus)
coonstriped shrimp (Pandalus hypsinotus)
Pacific staghorn sculpin
(Leptocottus armatus)
big skate
(Raja binoculata)
Likely species
Bay pipefish
(Syngnathus leptorhynchus)
Saddleback gunnel
(Pholis ornata)
Crescent gunnel (Pholis laeta)
Tube snout
(Aulorrhbchus flavidus)
Coho salmon
(Oncorhynchus kisutch)
Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
Micro B
Existing Species
This tank is next in line for a complete overhaul. Existing species will
only be relevant for a short time. Micro B will become the "jetty
tank". Carefully review the likely species list, and get back to me
ASAP if you don't see an animal listed that you think should belong
on the list. I am in the process of collecting animal this month, so I
will need to know for my next collection trip. If there is a need to ID
the animals currently in there, here a few:
coonstriped shrimp
shiner perch
plumose anemone
giant green anemones
(Pandalus hypsinotus)
(cymatogaster aggregata)
(Metridium senile)
(Telia crassicornis)
Micro B (continued)
Likely species
wolf-eel
(Anarrhichthys ocellatus)
buffalo Sculpin (Enophrys bison)
brown Irish Lord (Hemilepidotus spinosus)
red Irish Lord
(Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus)
cabezon
(Scorpaenichthys marmoratus)
kelp greenling
(Hexagrammos decagrammus)
whitespotted greenling
(Hexagrammos stelleri)
lingcod
(Ophiodon elongatus)
giant green anemones (Telia crassicornis)
Dungeness crab (Cancer magister)
black rockfish
(Sebastes melanops)
copper rockfish (Sebastes caurinus)
aggregate anemones (Anthopleura elegantissima)
red rock crab
(Cancer productus)
redtail surfperch (Amphistichus rhodoterus)
• Maximum age of about 14 years.
• Produces large live young rather than laying eggs.
• Common sport fish caught along open sandy beaches.
• ODFW conducts extensive tagging and sport catch sampling
to determine population size and critical habitat.
white surfperch (Phanerodon furcatus)
• Maximum age is about 7 years.
• Found along sandy bottoms of shallow bays and around
pilings.
• Mature females give birth to live young during the spring
• Most frequently caught during the spring and summer
months in estuaries.
English sole (Pleuronectes vetulus)
• Maximum age of 22 years. Young spend first year in very
shallow waters including bays
• EPA is studying juvenile English sole in the Yaquina estuary
to learn how sediment deposition from logging, dredging, or
urbanization affects their growth rates.
• ODFW has conducted extensive tagging off Newport to study
fish movement, and commercial landings are sampled for stock
assessment.
sand sole (Psettichthys melanostictus)
• Skin on the eyed side feels rough like sandpaper
• Common flatfish in shallow water (often at depths less than
150 feet) near sandy beaches
• Generally found lying over clean sand near the mouths of
bays
• Excellent eating quality and is sometimes taken by sport
fishers casting into the surf and commercial trawlers fishing near
shore
big skate (Raja binoculata)
• Very large and common skate that can reach lengths of over 6
feet and 200 pounds. Usually found at depths of 10 to 360 feet.
• Eggs are expelled in horny egg case that may be up to a foot
in length and contain up to seven eggs.
• Large embryos in egg cases look like small skates. Egg cases
are sometimes found washed up on beaches.
• Flesh from the large pectoral fins is excellent for eating and
has a modest commercial value.
Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi )
• Silvery schooling fish that was very important to Native
American and commercial fisheries, caught for it’s delicious roe or as
a bait fish
• Historically, runs occurred in many bays, but the primary run
in Oregon today is in Yaquina Bay.
• Available to fisheries when it spawns in in-shore waters and
its eggs form thick mats on algae and rocks.
• Twenty percent of the run, or about 70 metric tons of 3-4 year
fish are landed annually.
Pacific sanddab (Citharichthys sordidus )
•A left-eye flounder (both eyes on the left side of the head)
usually found on soft bottoms at depths of over 50 feet.
• Extensive range from the Bering Sea to south Baja
• A popular food fish, especially in California
• Researchers are studying metamorphosis (changes in form)
and early mortality
jacksmelt (Atherinopsis californiensis)
• Yaquina Bay is the northern end of its range, that extends
south to Baja California.
• Caught both commercially or on hook and line by sport
fishers
• Important prey species in the near shore food chain
petrale sole (Eopsetta jordani)
•A right-eye flounder (both eyes on the right side of the head)
usually found on sand bottoms at depths between 60 and 1500 feet.
• Important food fish, sold fresh or as frozen fillets. Common in
markets
• Forages heavily upon small fishes such as herring and
anchovies
• Due to historic heavy fishing, the valuable harvest of this fish
has been declining, prompting research in both the United States and
Canada
China rockfish (Sebastes nebulosus)
• From the Greek sebastos, meaning “magnificent;” and the Latin
nebulosus, “clouded.”
• Solitary rockfish found on shallow rocky shores or reefs usually at
depths of about 60 to 400 feet.
• Important commercial species in live fish fishery.
• All rockfish species have internal fertilization and release tiny
larvae.
copper rockfish (Sebastes caurinus)
• Abundant in shallow water and in kelp beds bays among rocks.
• Occasionally found resting on the bottom propped up by its fins
• Adult females give live birth during April and May
• Usually non-schooling as adults, but schools of tiny juveniles can
be found among the eelgrass and kelp during the summer
quillback rockfish
(Sebastes maliger)
• Large spines of dorsal fin are deeply notched.
• A non-schooling rockfish usually found "resting" on rocky bottom
at moderate depths (100 to about 475 feet).
• Female quillback rockfish usually grows larger than the male.
• Juveniles are finely spotted, and frequently hide among the floating
debris in summer tidelines.
blue rockfish
(Sebastes mystinus)
• Young fish eat zooplankton (jellyfish, krill and copepods),
preferring small fish as they mature.
• Juveniles can be recognize by their light blue body, spotted with
brick red.
• An active, schooling gamefish that usually swims well off the
bottom.
• Reaches 21 inches in length and can live for 24 years.
giant green anemone (Anthopleura xanthogrammica)
• A mutually beneficial symbiosis between the anemone and
microscopic algae living inside of the animal gives the anemone a
green appearance.
• The algae provides the animal oxygen and food as byproducts of
photosynthesis. In exchange, the anemone provides the algae a safe
place to live and lots nutrients, similar to fertilizer.
• OSU researchers are attempting to discover how juvenile anemones
find and take up new algae, and how anemones recognize a
symbiotic alga.
red sea urchin
(Strongylocentrotus franciscanus)
• Large adults may live as long as twenty years.
• If unchecked by predators, this prodigious consumer of algae can
alter the nearshore ecosystem by decimating the kelp forest
• From a peak of 9.3 million pounds harvested in 1990, the market for
red sea urchin roe has dropped to 345,000 pounds in 1998.
• HMSC and ODFW are investigating the potential of sustainable
fisheries for urchins and are exploring the potential of refuges on
population health.
ocher star
•
(Pisaster ochraceus)
sunflower star
(Pycnopodia helianthoides)
bat star
(Patiria miniata)
rainbow star
(Orthasterias koehleri)
leather star
(Dermasterias imbricata)
clonal plumose anemone
(Metridium senile)
strawberry anemone (Corynactis californica)
crusty red anemone (Urticina columbiana)
clonal anemone (Anthropleura elegantissima)
mottled anemone
(Urticina crassicornis)
EYE LEVEL CORE:
bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis)
• Maximum age of 36 years.
• Found in schools at moderate depths (500 - 1,000 feet).
• Important commercial species in California.
• All rockfish species have internal fertilization and release tiny
larvae.
kelp greenling or sea trout (Hexagrammos decagrammus)
• Female is gray-brown with bright golden to light brown small spots
on body and head. Male is dark gray with large bright blue spots on
head and sides. Length to 21 inches
• Common in sport catches off rocky coastline and jetties.
• Males guard egg masses found on rocky areas.
• Valuable fish in commercial live fish fishery.
copper rockfish (Sebastes caurinus)
• Abundant in shallow water and in kelp beds bays among rocks.
• Occasionally found resting on the bottom propped up by its fins
• Adult females give live birth during April and May
• Usually non-schooling as adults, but schools of tiny juveniles can
be found among the eelgrass and kelp during the summer
quillback rockfish
(Sebastes maliger)
• Large spines of dorsal fin are deeply notched.
• A non-schooling rockfish usually found "resting" on rocky bottom
at moderate depths (100 to about 475 feet).
• Female quillback rockfish usually grows larger than the male.
• Juveniles are finely spotted, and frequently hide among the floating
debris in summer tide lines.
<>
> The five species of crab in the octopus tank are:
>
> Cancer magister, the dungeness crab. Our most commercially
important crab.
>
> Cancer gracilis, the graceful crab. With slender purple legs and
white
> tipped claws, this crab is usually mistaken for a small dungeness.
It
> doesn’t get much larger than 60 mm.
>
> Cancer productus, the red crab/red rock crab. Our most common
bay crab.
> Tasty, but with less meat than a dungeness..
>
> Cancer antennarius, the rock crab/Pacific red rock crab. Often
mistaken for
> the more common red rock crab because of the black-tipped
pinchers, this
> crab is a muddy brown color, and has massive rounded claws. The
diagnostic
> feature of the species is the presence of small purple spots on the
> underside of the animal. The Pacific Rock Crab is usually found in
the
> ocean, but it moves into bays when salinity is high from low river
> levels-usually summer and fall.
>
> Carcinus maenas, the European Green Crab. An introduced
species,
> potentially harmful to native crabs and shellfish. Preliminary
research
> suggests that native rock crabs dominate this species, and may
keep it’s
 numbers in check.
To your left, in the "arid" climate is a Northern Alligator Lizard,
Elgaria coerulea. This is the only lizard found in northern Oregon
coastal forests. It is a live bearer, as the eggs are held in the females
oviduct for about three months. Alligator lizards eat insects and
small invertebrates, large specimens may take small birds, mammals,
and other lizards. Populations may be at risk in areas where
Cinnabar moths are found. Cinnabar moths were introduced to
control the plant Tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), which is toxic to
cattle and horses. The moths concentrate Tansey toxins when they
consume the plant, rendering the moths toxic to native lizards (and,
potentially, other native species).
On the right, with the "pond", is a (kinda small) Pacific Giant
salamander, Dicamptodon tenebrosus. Larval giant pacific
salamanders have gills and need the cold, clear water of streams,
rivers, lakes, and ponds. This makes them particularly vulnerable to
the effects of siltation and the removal of vegetation from water
bodies. Adults, which can easily reach twelve inches in size, require
downed logs for shelter in the conifer and deciduous forests where
they forage for food.
Fish in the Sebastes genus, locally called rockfish, are of special
interest to researchers due to their importance in the commercial
fishing industry. In recent years, rockfish have contributed more to
Newport’s economy than salmon have.
*Sebastes live between 30 and 140 years. They are live bearers,
and mature at a later age than most fish. Spawning times and the
amount of larvae released vary greatly with age, and age class sizes
must be considered in the management of individual species.
*The most reliable method of aging rockfish (and many other
marine fish species) is to study their ear bones. These bones, called
otoliths, grow like rings on a tree. By taking representative samples
of fish caught and studying their otoliths, fisheries managers can
ensure management strategies that protect the continued health of
fish populations.
Moon Snail Polinices lewisii
Moon snails are commonly found partially buried in
mud/fine sand, through which they move by beating thousands
of tiny hair-like cilia on their foot. They can also move
somewhat faster when necessary by muscular contractions of
the foot. You can see ours plowing itís way through the
fine gravel in the Global tank.
They employ various feeding methods, but often grab small
clams with their foot and drill a tiny hole through the
shell with their radula (stiff, sandpaper-like tongue) and
the help of chemical secretions by their proboscis.
Alternatively, the snails may merely hold their prey inside
their foot until dead, then insert their proboscis between
the shells of the dead animal to feed. Moon snails are
also scavengers, eating anything (animal, not vegetable)
that comes their way.
Sunflower stars, Pisaster helianthoides, are apparently
their only natural enemies.
Moon snail egg cases look like beige rubber rings and can
be found in intertidal areas. The eggs are extruded from
the mantle cavity in a continuous gelatinous sheet, which
is covered with a sand/mucus mixture as it emerges. Egg
cases crumble in late summer, releasing a half-million or
so free-swimming larvae.
(Info from Ricketts et al., 1985, Between Pacific Tides
[5th Edition])
Brown Box Crab Lopholithodes foraminatus
Scientific name from Greek lophos (crest) + lithodes
(stone); and Latin foraminatus (provided with a hole or
perforation)
The Brown Box Crab can be found from Kodiak, AK, to San
Diego, CA. Their preferred habitat is mud bottom or on
vertical rock faces above the mud, from low intertidal to
600 meters deep.
Brown Box Crabs feed on bivalves and organic debris and
often bury in the mud. While buried, two circular holes,
or foramens, in the claws permit water circulation to the
gills.
Mature male crabs weigh about 1.3 pounds, with the largest
individuals weighing about 2.5 pounds and measuring seven
inches across the back. Females are smaller than the
males.
Their major predator is probably octopus.
Brown Box Crabs may migrate from deep to shallow waters
and vice versa during certain seasons. This, along with
their abundance and other population parameters, is
unknown.
Box crab must be harvested by pots or rings which meet the
same specifications as Dungeness crab gear. Permits may be
obtained to use trawl gear for box crab harvest outside of
Oregon waters. While the Dungeness crab season is closed,
Box crab harvest is restricted to waters deeper than 40
fathoms. There are no size or sex restrictions on the
fishery, but crabs must not be mutilated before landing so
that species cannot be determined.
Box crabs were first harvested in Oregon in 1982, and
reached a peak harvest of 272,000 pounds in 1984. Landings
decreased after 1985 due to a lack of market interest.
Most of the harvest was taken by crab pots, although trawl
gear was also common. One researcher suggested trawling
may be more efficient for commercial harvest because of
long soak times needed with pots. Meat yield from the
crabs is approximately 25%.
(Info from the report
Oregon Developmental Species
Box Crab, Lopholithodes foraminatus
by Jean McCrae, ODF&W, 1994
and
the AK Fisheries Science Center, Kodiak Laboratory website
(http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/kodiak/photo/boxa.htm)
2 Shortspine Thornyheads, Sebastolobus alascanus. These reddish,
spiny-headed fish in the rockfish family can be found in deep waters
(usually below 400 feet, have been found from 80 - 5000 ft.) on soft
sandy
or silty bottoms. Their range is from the Bering Sea to Baja
California,
although spawning seems to occur only north of Pt. Conception. Also
called
the Idiotfish, Bonehead or Hardhead, Hooligan, or Channel Rockcod.
Shortspine Thornyheads are long-lived and slow-growing; the
maximum
recorded size is just under 30 inches in length. They are caught
incidentally in groundfish or shrimp trawls, traps, and on sablefish
longlines. In 1993, about 9000 metric tons worth $10 million were
taken
along the Pacific coast. Most are exported to Japan where
thornyheads
fetch premium prices (Love, 1996).
new in Micro-B (rocky reef tank):
Honeycomb Rockfish, Sebastes umbrosus ("magnificent" and
"shady"). A
smaller rockfish living on rocky reefs in medium-shallow waters
from
central CA to southern Baja. Life span is at least 15 years.
Honeycomb
rockfish are important in the southern CA recreational fishery.
(Love,
1996)
Starry Rockfish, Sebastes constellatus. Found from northern CA to
southern Baja over hard bottoms, usually around structure like rocky
reefs
or wrecks. Adults are most abundant from 180-450 feet, juveniles
from
90-250 ft. Usually soliary, occasionally found in small aggregations.
Life span is at least 28 years, max. length is 18". Diet is small fish,
crabs, shrimp, and other invertebrates.
Shiner Surfperch, Cymatogaster aggregata, are back. "Cymatogaster"
is
formed from 2 Greek works meaning "fetus belly", a reference to the
fact
that these fish bear live young. "Aggregata" refers to their schooling
behaviour. They have a wide geographic and habitat-type
distribution,
from Alaska to Baja in eelgrass and kelp beds, piers, jetties, and
occasionally the tidal zone of coastal rivers. Some will even enter the
freshwater zones of streams. Commonly found shallower than 50
feet, but
have been taken down to 690 ft. They can live in waters ranging from
39
to 70 degrees F. Life span is 8 yrs. Max. size is 7 inches. Females
grow faster and larger than males. Ours are probably about 3-4 years
old,
judging by their size. Mating takes place in mid-summer, but
females
store the sperm until winter before allowing fertilization to take
place.
Up to 36 embryos may develop. Diet is plankton: copepods, arrow
worms
(chaetognaths), amphipods, fish eggs. Almost everything eats shiner
perch
(larger fish, seals/sea lions, birds. Interesting factoid: fossil Shiner
Perch earbones (otoliths) have been found in Pliocene (over one
million
years old) deposits in Long Beach, CA.
Cabezon, Scorpaenichthys marmoratus (referring to this species'
resemblance to the scorpionfishes, genus Scorpaena; marmoratus is
Latin
for marbled). Sedentary fishes living on the same patch of hard
bottom
for most or all of their lives, which may be more than 13 years. They
can
reach 30 inches. Ours is probably a year to a year and a half old.
Eggs
are laid in nests on exposed rock surfaces and are guarded by the
males
until they hatch. Adults eat crabs, smaller fish, abalone, chitons, and
?octopi?. Evidently they can knock abalone off rocks, eat them
whole, and
spit out the shell at their leisure (Love, 1996, p. 223). Predators
include sea otters, pigeon guillemots, least terns, and cormorants.
They
are an important sport fish. Their flesh is blue when raw due to
copper-based compounds in the shellfish they consume, but edible;
however,
eggs are poisonous to humans, other mammals, and birds (probably
explains
why they can lay eggs in intertidal or shallow water without too
much
predation). Cabezon remains are common in Native American
middens.
references:
Love, Milton. 1996. Probably More Than You Wanted to Know
About the
Fishes of the Pacific Coast. Really Big Press, Santa Barbara, CA.
Lamb, Andy, and Phil Edgell. 1986. Coastal Fishes of the Pacific
Northwest. Harbour Publishing Co., Madeira Park, BC, Canada.
Eschmeyer, William N., and Earl S. Herald. 1983. The Peterson Field
Guide Series: A Field Guide to Pacific Coast Fishes North America.
Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
Six tank rack:
Shortspine Thornyheads, Sebastolobus alascanus.
• Usually found below 400 feet, have been found from 80 - 5000 ft.)
on soft sandy or silt bottoms
• Caught incidentally in groundfish or shrimp trawls, traps, and on
sablefish longlines. In 1993, about 9000 metric tons worth $10 million
were taken along the Pacific coast. Most are exported to Japan where
thornyheads fetch premium prices
Micro-B (rocky reef tank):
Honeycomb Rockfish, Sebastes umbrosus
• Found on rocky reefs in medium-shallow waters from central CA
to southern Baja.
• Life span is at least 15 years.
Starry Rockfish, Sebastes constellatus
• Found from northern CA to southern Baja over hard bottoms,
usually around structure like rocky reefs or wrecks.
• Adults are most abundant from 180-450 feet, juveniles from 90-250
ft. Usually solitary occasionally found in small aggregations.
• Life span is at least 28 years; maximum length is 18 inches
Shiner Surfperch, Cymatogaster aggregata
• Commonly found shallower than 50 feet, but has been taken down
to 690 ft.
• Life span is 8 years. Females grow faster and larger than males
• Fossil shiner surfperch earbones (otoliths) have been found in
Pliocene (over one million years old) deposits in Long Beach, CA.
Cabezon, Scorpaenichthys marmoratus
• Sedentary fishes living on the same patch of hard bottom for most
or all of their lives, which may be more than 13 years
• Eggs are laid in nests on exposed rock surfaces and are guarded by
the males until they hatch
• Their edible flesh is blue when raw due to copper-based
compounds in the shellfish that they consume
Coon-striped shrimp have been added to the Micro-rack C tank (the
one with
the "Coon-Striped Shrimp" sign, the eelgrass tank, and the Feature
Research/Ochre Sea Stars tank (next to the oysters.) Also called
"Dock
Shrimp" (because they are often found around floating docks and
pilings,
according to Kozloff in Seashore Life of the Northern Pacific). They
can
reach lengths up to 15 cm, and are edible. They are very helpful
"janitors" in our tanks, picking up small pieces of food which would
otherwise fall to the bottom.
Two rock crabs have been added to Touch Tank 2 (replacing one
deceased
crab). The bright red one is Cancer productus, commonly found in
sandy or
muddy bays as well as rocky intertidal and shallow subtidal areas.
While
they can be tasty, these crabs are not commercially harvested because
they
have much less meat relative to shell weight than Dungeness crabs.
The
duller-colored crab with larger claws *I believe* is a Cancer
antennarius,
found more commonly on rocky shores than in bays, although our
specimen
came up in a trap off our pumphouse dock. I have seen a number of
crabs
like this with very fat claws, which do not look quite like the pictures
associated with the rock crab Cancer antennarius in all the ID
books...it
could be that the males have larger claws? or it could be that I'm
wrong..if anyone knows that this crab is a different species, please let
me know! The clue that suggests that it is a C. antennarius is the
spots on it's underside. They are also edible, although I didn't like
the
last one I had..
Eight Ocean Whitefish, Caulolatilus pinceps have been added to the
Birds
Eye Tank. These animals have been seen from Vancouver Island, BC
south to
Peru. They are most common from Pt. Conception southward. They
tend to be
found from the subtidal to at least 450 feet. They are generally in
groups,
over rocks and/or kelp from the bottom up to about 15 feet above it.
See
Milton Love's book, Probably More Than You Want to Know About
the Fish of
the Pacific Coast for a nice description with some humor.
There is a new juvenile sand sole in the Global tank. It is about 6
inches long and is usually very well camoflaged against the gravel.
A darkblotched rockfish that was removed from Eye-Level to the
quarantine
area some time ago for a bacterial infection is back after successful
treatment and a little R&R. There are now 2 of this species in this
tank.
There is a new large kelp crab in Touch Tank 3 (although this may
not be
his final destination, it's where he is now.)
And last but far from least, we have a new octopus. Donated by
Seagull
Charters' Captain Mike of the Miss Raven and two guests from
Washington
who pulled up the octopus on a hook and line last week, the octopus
is a
handsome male slightly larger than half Stretch's size. He is
currently
in the quarantine room in the West Wing; please do not disturb him
OR THE
SEAL ON HIS TANK!!! [ask me or Sylvia if you just HAVE to see him
:)] Many
thanks to Seagull Charters and Captain Mike for thinking of us. At
least
I will think of them in return: they sounded very professional and
their
guests all seemed very pleased with their trip; if anyone is looking for
a
fishing trip for themselves or visitors Seagull Charters sounds like a
good one. They are on the Bayfront next to Marine Discovery Tours.
12/6/00 - Micro B tank
Most obvious fish:
Starry Rockfish, Sebastes constellatus
Honeycomb Rockfish, S. umbrosus
Shiner Surfperch, Cymatogaster aggregata
Other fish:
Walleye surfperch, Hyperprosopon argenteum
Cabezon, Scorpaenichthys marmoratus
Invertebrates:
Plumose Anemone (white and orange varieties), Metridium senile
Christmas Anemone, also called Mottled Anemone, Utricina
crassicornis
Orange Cup Coral, Balanophyllia elegans
Strawberry Corallimorphians, Corynactis californica
Giant Green Anemone, Anthopleura xanthogrammica
Pink-tipped Anemone, Anthopleura elegantissima
Rock Scallop, Hinnites giganteus
California Mussel, Mytilus edulis
Coon-stripe Shrimp, Pandanus danae
Brittle Stars, probably but not definitely (?) Ophiopholis aculeata,
often
not visible (hiding in rocks)
1. Pipefish was released from Micro A (eelgrass) tank. It wasn't
eating
well, and will hopefully be happier and fatter (it's all relative, when
you're a pipefish!) out in the eelgrass beds of Yaquina Bay with tasty
plankton to feast on.
2. The largest flatfish in the Micro A (eelgrass) tank, which for
argument's sake I will say is a juvenile English Sole, has moved to the
Global Tank. There it has been joined by a Pacific Sanddab and three
Starry Flounders. English soles are right-eyed flounders. Ours has a
mottled light/darker brown color. Pacific Sanddabs are left-eyed
flounders, and have more defined, smaller, rounder spots. Starry
Flounders have distinct dark and yellowish alternating bands on
their
dorsal, ventral, and caudal fins. There are currently 6 juvenile flatfish
in the Global tank.
3. Three juvenile flatfish have moved into the Micro A (eelgrass)
tank,
and two into the Micro-Rack E (ghost shrimp) tank. They are too
small for
me to ID--maybe Ron (procurer and provider of said flatfish) or
Sylvia
(possessor of MUCH fishy lore) knows what they are. They're small.
They're roughly diamond-shaped. They have pointy heads and are a
uniform
dull brown color on top and pale gray-to-white color on the blind
side.
Unfortunately, I didn't try to ID them BEFORE I put them in their
new
homes, and they have, of course, buried themselves in the sand or
gravel.
Eye-level tank
Tiger Rockfish (Sebastes nigrocinctus)
has dark red-orange bars on white/pink body.
They are normally found in deeper water (180-900 ft, according to
Milton Love), and like to stay near the bottom, hiding in crevices.
They are normally solitary. They can reach 2 feet in length.
There are now 3 California Sheepheads in the Eye-Level tank. One of
the remaining ones looks like it may turn into a male before too long.
Notice that one of the pink Sheephead Wrasses in the Eye-Level tank
is
beginning to turn into a male (this process is called sequential
hermaphroditism, when an animal begins life as one sex and then
changes to
the other after some time; in this case it is specifically "protogyny", in
which the animals are first female then become male.) What
determines
when they change sex, or which fish do and which don't? Good
question!
Age/maturity and population strucutre (ratio of males to females)
are
important factors but many details are yet to be worked out.
Sheephead
wrasse are not the only ones that do this neat trick--a number of
different groups of fish do. Why? Probably maximizes reproductive
potential of the population and growth of individuals (which feeds
back
into the former, reproductive capacity).
Several folks have asked about our
sun[flower] sea stars, the Pycnopodia
helianthoides. They developed a taste for fish, unfortunately, and so
were banished from our tanks before they were the only animals left
in
them! They were released about a week ago at the south jetty. There
is one
small one (purplish in color) remaining in the Bird's Eye tank, but it is
often hidden among the rocks on the bottom.
Eye-level tank 12/12/00
List of Animals:
Common Name
Latin Name
white encrusting sea sponge
Haliclona spp
giant green anemone
Anthopleura xanthogrammica
strawberry corallimorpharian
Corynactis californica
kelp greenling (female)
Hexagrammos decagrammus
copper rockfish
Sebastes caurinus
darkblotched rockfish
Sebastes crameri
buffalo sculpin
Enophrys bison
rock prickleback
Xiphister mucosus
black prickleback
Xiphister atropurpureus
red Irish lord
Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus
quillback rockfish
Sebastes maliger
silvergray rockfish
Sebastes brevispinis
tiger rockfish
Sebastes nigrocinctus
California sheephead
Semicossyphus pulcher
treefish
Sebastes serriceps
Copy for the Eye-level tank:
copper rockfish (Sebastes caurinus)
• Abundant in shallow water and in kelp beds bays among rocks.
• Occasionally found resting on the bottom propped up by its fins
• Adult females give live birth during April and May
• Usually non-schooling as adults, but schools of tiny juveniles can
be found among the eelgrass and kelp during the summer
giant green anemone (Anthopleura xanthogrammica)
• Mutually beneficial symbiosis between the anemone and
microscopic algae living inside of the animal gives the anemone a
green appearance.
• Algae provides the animal oxygen and food as byproducts of
photosynthesis. In exchange, the anemone provides the algae a safe
place to live and lots nutrients, similar to fertilizer.
• OSU researchers are attempting to discover how juvenile anemones
find and take up new algae, and how anemones recognize a
symbiotic alga.
kelp greenling (Hexagrammos decagrammus)
• Female is gray-brown with bright golden to light brown small spots
on body and head. Male is dark gray with large bright blue spots on
head and sides.
• Common in sport catches off rocky coastline and jetties.
• Males guard egg masses found on rocky areas.
• Valuable fish in commercial live fish fishery.
quillback rockfish (Sebastes maliger)
• Brown colored body is mottled with yellow and orange and has a
bright yellow area running through spiny dorsal and down into
upper half of side. Large spines of dorsal fin are deeply notched.
• Non-schooling rockfish usually found "resting" on rocky bottom at
moderate depths (100 to about 475 feet).
• All rockfish species have internal fertilization and release tiny
larvae.
California sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher)
• pink Sheephead Wrasses in the Eye-Level tank is
beginning to turn into a male (this process is called sequential
hermaphroditism, when an animal begins life as one sex and then
changes to
the other after some time; in this case it is specifically "protogyny", in
which the animals are first female then become male.) What
determines
when they change sex, or which fish do and which don't? Good
question!
Age/maturity and population strucutre (ratio of males to females)
are
important factors but many details are yet to be worked out.
Sheephead
wrasse are not the only ones that do this neat trick--a number of
different groups of fish do. Why? Probably maximizes reproductive
potential of the population and growth of individuals (which feeds
back
into the former, reproductive capacity).
We now have 4 kelp crabs, Pugettia producta, in the Bird's
Eye tank (and
they're quite handsome if they do say so themselves). Look
for the three
large ones on the standpipes in the corners of the tank or
on the bottom
among the rocks (they're too heavy for our imitation kelp),
and the fourth
smaller one up among the kelp floats. Kelp crabs are
common on pilings
and on kelp fronds, where they use extremely sharp spines
on their legs
and carapaces to cling in the waves. They can be found
along the Pacific
coast from BC to Baja, and are primarily herbivorous
although they will
also consume sessile animals (and small chunks of herring)
when their
normal plant foods are not available.
One pit-tagged sablefish has been returned to the NOAA
exhibit tank after
a successful recuperation from injuries incurred in its bid
for escape
(making a total of 3 sablefish, 2 salmon, and 1 steelhead
[and one big
skate] in the tank).
Maggie
I just put a sailfin sculpin (Nautichthys oculofasciatus, which means
banded-eye sailor fish) in the Micro A tank, the eelgrass tank. These
fish are found from inshore to 110 m depth, and according to the
Pacific
Fishes of Canada, they "avoid freezing temperatures" (a fish after my
own
heart). It's a very attractive fish, with a long dorsal fin it raises
when excited. Sandy eelgrass beds aren't their natural habitat; they
would be more likely to be found in rocky areas, but we thought this
tank
would show it off to greater advantage.
I have added 2 white-lined nudibranchs, Dirona albolineata, to the
Featured
research I tank. These animals feed on snails, sea anemones, sea
squirts
and
bryozoans.
I recently addedd a 4-armed leather star to exhibit in the Eye-level
tank,
and didn't want anyone to think it's a new injury. If my memory
serves me
correctly (you never know), the animal had lost an arm when in the
Touch
Tanks sometime last fall/winter, and has been in the West Wing
recuperating. It has begun to regenerate its fifth arm, which can be
seen
as a small nub if you get a good look at the sea star. It provides a
good
interpretation opportunity to talk about regeneration in sea stars.
Interesting tidbit: leather stars prey on sea anemones and urchins in
the
wild (ours are kept well-fed and don't seem to bother their
tankmates),
and engulf pieces of food and digest internally, rather than everting
their stomachs as many of the other stars do. They reportedly smell
strongly of garlic and/or sulfur when out of the water.
Hi all,
I have added a few more mussels to Touch Tank #3, as well as a few
small plumose anemones, two more rock scallops, and some orange
tunicates.
Although they look like sponge, they are actually not closely related.
Tunicates are in the phylum Chordata, like people! (OK, they're not
VERY
MUCH like people, but they do have a notochord, a very primitive
version
of our spinal cord.) Sponges are in the phylum Porifera. Our critters
are
a kind of tunicate called ascidians,
and they are colonial (as opposed to the individual hairy sea squirts).
Our colonial ascidians are most likely the genus Botryllus. Ascidians
are
found all over the world, attached to rocks, shells, reefs, docks, ships,
etc. In Botryllus, each individual shares a common "tunic" with
several
others. The tunic is a fibrous matrix within which amoeboid cells
and
blood cells are found. Extensions of the tunic attach the colony to the
substrate. The larger holes visible are common exhalent apertures
shared
by several individuals. Each individual has its own inhalent
opening--the
smaller holes just visible around the larger exhalent openings. These
colonial ascidians are very common on docks in our area.
SEA SLUGS
Sea slugs or nudibranchs are related to snails (Phylum Mollusca), but
do not have a shell. Because of their extraordinary large neurons,
these animals are sometimes the experimental subjects of researchers
interested in studying the nervous system. However, it is for their
dramatic color or remarkable camouflage that nudibranchs are most
well known.
Dorid - type of nudibranch ("naked-gill") with retractable plume-like
gills forming a circlet around the anus
sea lemon, Anisodoris nobilis
• feeds on several different types of sponges. Its egg masses are the
ribbons of gelatinous material on the inside of the aquarium walls
Aeolid (eolid) - type of nudibranch possessing cerata (finger-like
respiratory structures on back) rather than a plume-like gill
white-lined nudibranch, Dirona albolineata
• feeds on snails, sea anemones, sea squirts and bryozoans
Hermissenda, Hermissenda crassicornis
• feeds primarily on sea anemones
red octopus
(Octopus rubescens)
• small octopus (under 200 grams) with pointed and cylindrical body
papillae (projections)
• most common octopus in the nearshore of the Pacific NorthWest
• feeds on a wide variety of molluscs and crustaceans
• changes color with changing emotion state (white when tired or
frightened; turns red when excited)
WHY IS THERE A BEER BOTTLE IN THIS AQUARIUM?
To determine their diet, O. rubescens were collected in beer bottle
dens, evicted, measured and released. The shell contents of the
bottles were then sieved, identified and compared to those from
bottles not containing octopuses. The shell contents of bottles
containing octopuses had significantly more species and significantly
more shells than bottles without octopuses. Beer bottle trash on the
sea floor is a non-polluting den resource for O. rubescens and is
shown here to be a valuable tool for diet analysis.
Determination of the Diet of Octopus rubescens Through Examination
of its Beer Bottle Dens in Puget Sound - R.C. Anderson et.al
If you haven't already, check out the snake prickleback in the Micro A
exhibit (eelgrass tank). It was caught about 6 weeks ago in Yaquina Bay.
Snake pricklebacks (Lumpenus saggita) are found in shallow bays and
offshore waters from Japan up, around the Aleutians, and down AK-BC-WA-OR
to San Francisco Bay. Their normal diet is listed as "planktonic
copepods". (This info is from the FishBase website, www.fishbase.org,
which has taxonomic, identification, life history, distribution, and other
information about over 25000 species of fish. You can search by common
name or parts thereof, scientific name, location, keyword, etc. It's a
great reference, and really interesting!)