A Wild, Wild Life on the Mid-Texas Coast: Invertebrates

Presentation by Peggy Romfh, M.S.January 2018

Photos by Pete and Peggy Romfh unless otherwise notedVideos by Pete Romfh

Pete and Peggy Romfh are members of Texas Master Naturalist, Cradle of Texas Chapter

Intro to Brazoria County

What We Will Cover

• Invertebrates we commonly see along the coastal waterways and beaches– Bryozoa (bryozoans)– Cnidaria (coral, jellies, hydrozoa, anemones)– Echinodermata and Annelida (sand dollar and

worms)– Arthropoda (barnacles, shrimp, crabs, insects)– Mollusca (gastropods, bivalves, squid)

Moss Animals (Bryozoans)Family Vesiculariidae

Phylum Bryozoa

Sauerkraut Bryozoan(Zoobotryon verticillatum)

exhibit

Hard Corals

Phylum CnidariaClass AnthozoaOrder Scleractinia

Northern Cup Coral(Astrangia poculata)

on Oyster Shell

3-5 mm diameter corallites

24 beaded septa

exhibit

Typical Coral Polyps

Phylum CnidariaClass AnthozoaOrder Scleractinia

Source: G.P. Schmahl, NOAA Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary; used with permission

FGBNMS

Soft Corals

Phylum CnidariaClass AnthozoaOrder Alcyonacea

Sea Whip(Leptogorgia setacea)

Specimen courtesy of TMN-COT member Phil Huxford

exhibit

AnemonesFamily Hormathiidae

Phylum Cnidaria

Tricolor AnemoneCalliactis tricolor

AnemonesFamily Actiniidae

Phylum Cnidaria

Warty Anemone(Bunodosoma cavernatum)

JelliesFamily Ulmaridae

Phylum Cnidaria

Moon Jelly (Aurelia aurita)

JelliesFamily Rhizostomatidae

Phylum Cnidaria

Cannonball Jelly (Cabbagehead) (Stomolophus meleagris)

JelliesFamily Pelagiidae

Phylum Cnidaria video

Sea Nettle (Chrysaora quinquecirrha)

Purple-striped Jelly(Pelagia noctiluca)

Video 1 – Sea Nettle

HydroidsFamily Physaliidae

Phylum Cnidaria

Portuguese man o’ war(Physalia physalis)

Sand DollarFamily Mellitidae

Phylum Echinodermata

exhibit

Sand Dollar(Mellita quinquiesperforata)

Plumed Worm

Phylum AnnelidaClass Polychaeta

exhibit

Plumed Worm tube(Diopatra cuprea)

Serpulid Worm

Phylum AnnelidaClass Polychaeta

exhibit

Serpulid Worm Reef in Whelk Shell

SORRY! I JUST WOKE UP AND I’M KIND OF

CRABBY!

Box CrabsFamily Calappidae

Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea

Calico Box Crab(Hepatus epheliticus)

Flecked Box Crab(Hepatus pudibundus)

Fiddler CrabsFamily Ocypodidae

Spined Fiddler Crab(Uca spinacarpa)

Fiddler CrabsFamily Ocypodidae

Mud Flat Fiddler Crab (Uca rapax)

Ghost CrabsFamily Ocypodidae

Atlantic Ghost Crab(Ocypode quadrata)

Left-handed Hermit CrabsFamily Diogenidae

Surf Hermit (Isocheles wurdemanni)

Left-handed Hermit CrabsFamily Diogenidae

Thin-striped Hermit Clibanarius vittatus

Lightning whelk ‘house’

Hays’ rock snail ‘house’

Right-handed Hermit CrabsFamily Paguridae

Flatclaw Hermit (Pagurus pollicaris)

Marsh CrabsFamily Sesarmidae

Squareback Marsh Crab (Armases cinereum)

Mud CrabsFamily Panopeidae

Salt Marsh Mud Crab(Panopeus obesus)

Mud CrabsFamily Menippidae

Stone Crab (Menippe adina)

Sand Sifter – A Crabbing Time

Homo sapiens

Pete sifting sand in the swash zone looking for mole and sand crabs

Mole CrabsFamily Albuneidae

exhibit

Mole Crab (Lepidopa benedicti)

Sand CrabsFamily Hippidae

exhibit

Puerto Rican Sand Crab (Emerita portoricensis)

Purse CrabsFamily Leucosiidae

exhibit

Mottled Purse Crab (Persephona

mediterranea)

Spider CrabsFamily Pisidae

exhibit

Portly Spider Crab (Libinia emarginata)

Swimming CrabsFamily Portunidae

exhibit

Blue Crab(Callinectes sapidus)

exhibit

Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus)

Photo by Dave Brandes, TMN-COT

exhibit

Speckled Swimming Crab (Arenaeus cribrarius)

Enjoy eating Brown, White,

and Pink Shrimp from the Gulf!

Ghost Shrimp

ShrimpFamily Penaeidae

White Shrimp(Litopenaeus setiferus)

Rostrum

Misc. BarnaclesFamily Balanidae

exhibit

Giant Purple Barnacle(Megabalanustintinnabulum)

Bay Barnacle(Balanus improvisus)

Photo by Kristine Rivers, TMN-COT

Goose BarnaclesFamily Lepadidae

Goose Barnacle(Lepas anserifera)

Peduncle

Goose BarnaclesFamily Lepadidae

exhibit

Smooth Goose Barnacle(Lepas anatifera)

Macroinvertebrates

Copepods – adult and larval nauplius

Photo by Dave Brandes, TMN-COT; Drum Bay

Would you stop clamming up when I am

talking to you?

Phylum MolluscaClass Cephalopoda

exhibit

Ram’s Horn Squid(Spirula spirula)

Courtesy Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (Brenda Bowling), http://txmarspecies.tamug.edu

WhelksFamily Melongenidae

Phylum MolluscaClass Gastropoda

exhibit

Lightning Whelk (Busycon pulleyi)Shouldered Pearwhelk (Busycotypus plagosus)

Pearwhelk (Busycotypus spiratus)

Lightning Whelk and Egg Casings

exhibit

Lightning Whelk egg casing and baby whelks

“Snails”

exhibit

L-R: Hays’ Rocksnail (Stramonita canaliculata)Florida Rocksnail (Stramonita haemastoma)Cancellate Cantharus (Solenosteira cancellaria)Giant Eastern Murex (Hexaplex fulvescens)

Shark EyesFamily Naticidae

exhibit

Shark Eye (Neverita duplicata)

Other Gastropods

exhibit

Banded Tulip, Common Sundial, Marsh Periwinkle, Striped False Limpet, White Baby Ear, Lettered Olive

OystersFamily Ostreidae

Phylum MolluscaClass Bivalvia

exhibit

Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea

virginica)

CoquinaFamily Donacidae

exhibitvideo

Variable Coquina (Donax variabilis)

Video 2 – Coquina in Sand

Video 3 – Coquina Siphon Action

Disk DosiniaFamily Veneridae

exhibit

Disk dosinia (Dosinia discus)

Disk DosiniaFamily Veneridae

exhibit

Disk dosinia (Dosinia discus)

AngelwingFamily Pholadidae

exhibit

Angelwing (Cyrtopleura costata)

Channeled Duck ClamFamily Mactridae

exhibit

Channeled Duck ClamRaeta plicatella

Ark ClamsFamily Arcidae

exhibit

Ark Clams with periostracum

Other Bivalves

exhibit

Top: Giant Atlantic Cockle; Unequal SpoonclamBottom: Stout Tagelus; Western Bay Scallop

What About Insects?

Phylum ArthropodaClass InsectaOrder Diptera

Deer Fly (Chrysops brunneus)

Eastern Saltmarsh Mosquito

(Ochlerotatus sollicitans)

Seaside Dragonlet(Erythrodiplax berenice)

Phylum ArthropodaClass InsectaOrder Odonata

Male Female

Male-like Female

Tiger Beetles

Phylum ArthropodaClass InsectaOrder Coleoptera

Coastal TB, White-cloaked TB, Cream-edged TB, Gulfshore TBRight: Saltmarsh TB

Lady Beetles and Marsh Beetle

Phylum ArthropodaClass InsectaOrder Coleoptera

Seaside Lady Beetle (Naemia seriata seriata)

Flea Marsh Beetle(Ora discoidea)

THANKS! Let’s go look at some

more specimens!

And remember, no trash on the beach!

A Wild, Wild Life on the Mid-Texas Coast: Invertebrates · Presentation by Peggy Romfh, M.S....

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