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 noted Videos by Pete Romfh

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

©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX2

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)

4

6

JelliesFamily Rhizostomatidae


Phylum Cnidaria

Cannonball Jelly (Cabbagehead) (Stomolophus meleagris)

JelliesFamily Pelagiidae


Phylum Cnidaria video

Sea Nettle (Chrysaora quinquecirrha)

©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX

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?

Squid


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!

Documents

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 noted Videos by Pete Romfh