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)
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX3
Moss Animals (Bryozoans)Family Vesiculariidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX4
Phylum Bryozoa
Sauerkraut Bryozoan(Zoobotryon verticillatum)
exhibit
Hard Corals
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX5
Phylum CnidariaClass AnthozoaOrder Scleractinia
Northern Cup Coral(Astrangia poculata)
on Oyster Shell
3-5 mm diameter corallites
24 beaded septa
exhibit
Typical Coral Polyps
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX6
Phylum CnidariaClass AnthozoaOrder Scleractinia
Source: G.P. Schmahl, NOAA Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary; used with permission
FGBNMS
Soft Corals
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX7
Phylum CnidariaClass AnthozoaOrder Alcyonacea
Sea Whip(Leptogorgia setacea)
Specimen courtesy of TMN-COT member Phil Huxford
exhibit
AnemonesFamily Hormathiidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX8
Phylum Cnidaria
Tricolor AnemoneCalliactis tricolor
AnemonesFamily Actiniidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX9
Phylum Cnidaria
Warty Anemone(Bunodosoma cavernatum)
JelliesFamily Ulmaridae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX10
Phylum Cnidaria
Moon Jelly (Aurelia aurita)
4
6
JelliesFamily Rhizostomatidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX11
Phylum Cnidaria
Cannonball Jelly (Cabbagehead) (Stomolophus meleagris)
JelliesFamily Pelagiidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX12
Phylum Cnidaria video
Sea Nettle (Chrysaora quinquecirrha)
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX
Purple-striped Jelly(Pelagia noctiluca)
Video 1 – Sea Nettle
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX13
HydroidsFamily Physaliidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX14
Phylum Cnidaria
Portuguese man o’ war(Physalia physalis)
Sand DollarFamily Mellitidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX15
Phylum Echinodermata
exhibit
Sand Dollar(Mellita quinquiesperforata)
Plumed Worm
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX16
Phylum AnnelidaClass Polychaeta
exhibit
Plumed Worm tube(Diopatra cuprea)
Serpulid Worm
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX17
Phylum AnnelidaClass Polychaeta
exhibit
Serpulid Worm Reef in Whelk Shell
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX18
SORRY! I JUST WOKE UP AND I’M KIND OF
CRABBY!
Box CrabsFamily Calappidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX19
Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea
Calico Box Crab(Hepatus epheliticus)
Flecked Box Crab(Hepatus pudibundus)
Fiddler CrabsFamily Ocypodidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX20
Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea
Spined Fiddler Crab(Uca spinacarpa)
Fiddler CrabsFamily Ocypodidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX21
Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea
Mud Flat Fiddler Crab (Uca rapax)
Ghost CrabsFamily Ocypodidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX22
Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea
Atlantic Ghost Crab(Ocypode quadrata)
Left-handed Hermit CrabsFamily Diogenidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX23
Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea
Surf Hermit (Isocheles wurdemanni)
Left-handed Hermit CrabsFamily Diogenidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX24
Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea
Thin-striped Hermit Clibanarius vittatus
Lightning whelk ‘house’
Hays’ rock snail ‘house’
Right-handed Hermit CrabsFamily Paguridae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX25
Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea
Flatclaw Hermit (Pagurus pollicaris)
Marsh CrabsFamily Sesarmidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX26
Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea
Squareback Marsh Crab (Armases cinereum)
Mud CrabsFamily Panopeidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX27
Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea
Salt Marsh Mud Crab(Panopeus obesus)
Mud CrabsFamily Menippidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX28
Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea
Stone Crab (Menippe adina)
Sand Sifter – A Crabbing Time
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX29
Homo sapiens
Pete sifting sand in the swash zone looking for mole and sand crabs
Mole CrabsFamily Albuneidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX30
Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea
exhibit
Mole Crab (Lepidopa benedicti)
Sand CrabsFamily Hippidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX31
Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea
exhibit
Puerto Rican Sand Crab (Emerita portoricensis)
Purse CrabsFamily Leucosiidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX32
Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea
exhibit
Mottled Purse Crab (Persephona
mediterranea)
Spider CrabsFamily Pisidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX33
Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea
exhibit
Portly Spider Crab (Libinia emarginata)
Swimming CrabsFamily Portunidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX34
Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea
exhibit
Blue Crab(Callinectes sapidus)
Swimming CrabsFamily Portunidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX35
Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea
exhibit
Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus)
Photo by Dave Brandes, TMN-COT
Swimming CrabsFamily Portunidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX36
Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea
exhibit
Speckled Swimming Crab (Arenaeus cribrarius)
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX37
Enjoy eating Brown, White,
and Pink Shrimp from the Gulf!
Ghost Shrimp
ShrimpFamily Penaeidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX38
Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea
White Shrimp(Litopenaeus setiferus)
Rostrum
Misc. BarnaclesFamily Balanidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX39
Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea
exhibit
Giant Purple Barnacle(Megabalanustintinnabulum)
Bay Barnacle(Balanus improvisus)
Photo by Kristine Rivers, TMN-COT
Goose BarnaclesFamily Lepadidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX40
Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea
Goose Barnacle(Lepas anserifera)
Peduncle
Goose BarnaclesFamily Lepadidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX41
Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea
exhibit
Smooth Goose Barnacle(Lepas anatifera)
Macroinvertebrates
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX42
Phylum ArthropodaSubphylum Crustacea
Copepods – adult and larval nauplius
Photo by Dave Brandes, TMN-COT; Drum Bay
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX43
Would you stop clamming up when I am
talking to you?
Squid
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX44
Phylum MolluscaClass Cephalopoda
exhibit
Ram’s Horn Squid(Spirula spirula)
Courtesy Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (Brenda Bowling), http://txmarspecies.tamug.edu
WhelksFamily Melongenidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX45
Phylum MolluscaClass Gastropoda
exhibit
Lightning Whelk (Busycon pulleyi)Shouldered Pearwhelk (Busycotypus plagosus)
Pearwhelk (Busycotypus spiratus)
Lightning Whelk and Egg Casings
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX46
Phylum MolluscaClass Gastropoda
exhibit
Lightning Whelk egg casing and baby whelks
“Snails”
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX47
Phylum MolluscaClass Gastropoda
exhibit
L-R: Hays’ Rocksnail (Stramonita canaliculata)Florida Rocksnail (Stramonita haemastoma)Cancellate Cantharus (Solenosteira cancellaria)Giant Eastern Murex (Hexaplex fulvescens)
Shark EyesFamily Naticidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX48
Phylum MolluscaClass Gastropoda
exhibit
Shark Eye (Neverita duplicata)
Other Gastropods
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX49
Phylum MolluscaClass Gastropoda
exhibit
Banded Tulip, Common Sundial, Marsh Periwinkle, Striped False Limpet, White Baby Ear, Lettered Olive
OystersFamily Ostreidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX50
Phylum MolluscaClass Bivalvia
exhibit
Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea
virginica)
CoquinaFamily Donacidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX51
Phylum MolluscaClass Bivalvia
exhibitvideo
Variable Coquina (Donax variabilis)
Video 2 – Coquina in Sand
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX52
Video 3 – Coquina Siphon Action
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX53
Disk DosiniaFamily Veneridae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX54
Phylum MolluscaClass Bivalvia
exhibit
Disk dosinia (Dosinia discus)
Disk DosiniaFamily Veneridae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX55
Phylum MolluscaClass Bivalvia
exhibit
Disk dosinia (Dosinia discus)
AngelwingFamily Pholadidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX56
Phylum MolluscaClass Bivalvia
exhibit
Angelwing (Cyrtopleura costata)
Channeled Duck ClamFamily Mactridae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX57
Phylum MolluscaClass Bivalvia
exhibit
Channeled Duck ClamRaeta plicatella
Ark ClamsFamily Arcidae
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX58
Phylum MolluscaClass Bivalvia
exhibit
Ark Clams with periostracum
Other Bivalves
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX59
Phylum MolluscaClass Bivalvia
exhibit
Top: Giant Atlantic Cockle; Unequal SpoonclamBottom: Stout Tagelus; Western Bay Scallop
What About Insects?
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX60
Phylum ArthropodaClass InsectaOrder Diptera
Deer Fly (Chrysops brunneus)
Eastern Saltmarsh Mosquito
(Ochlerotatus sollicitans)
Seaside Dragonlet(Erythrodiplax berenice)
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX61
Phylum ArthropodaClass InsectaOrder Odonata
Male Female
Male-like Female
Tiger Beetles
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX62
Phylum ArthropodaClass InsectaOrder Coleoptera
Coastal TB, White-cloaked TB, Cream-edged TB, Gulfshore TBRight: Saltmarsh TB
Lady Beetles and Marsh Beetle
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX63
Phylum ArthropodaClass InsectaOrder Coleoptera
Seaside Lady Beetle (Naemia seriata seriata)
Flea Marsh Beetle(Ora discoidea)
©2017 Peggy Romfh, Houston TX64
THANKS! Let’s go look at some
more specimens!
And remember, no trash on the beach!