Species

Invertebrates

Learn more about the invertebrates monitored by the LiMPETS program. The list below includes:

  • 17 core taxa that are monitored at as many sites as possible
  • 5 other taxa (denoted with *) that are monitored at only one or two sites

Go to Datasheets and Forms to find out which species are monitored at your LiMPETS site of interest.

Aggregating Anemone(Anthopleura elegantissima)
Aggregating Anemone
Description:
Small (2-5 cm) greenish-colored body, often with pink-tipped tentacles; large rounded tubercles arranged in vertical rows on column, often covered in sand and shells; radiating lines in oral disc; can form dense aggregations.
Distribution:
Alaska to Baja California.
Habitat:
Semiprotected rocky shores of bays and rocky coasts; abundant on rocks, in crevices or in tidepools in mid zone.
Diet:
Predator, eating copepods, isopods, amphipods, and other small animals that come in contact with the tentacles. Also possess symbiotic algae within their tissues that provide supplimental nourishment and oxygen.
Fun Fact:
These anemones can reproduce asexually or sexually; asexually by producing clones of themselves by longitudinal fission. All individuals in a group are members of a single clone, and are genetically identical to one another. Each clone is either male or female and all members produce either sperm or eggs.
Reason for Monitoring:
These anemones can reproduce asexually or sexually; asexually by producing clones of themselves by longitudinal fission. All individuals in a group are members of a single clone, and are genetically identical to one another. Each clone is either male or female and all members produce either sperm or eggs.
References:
Morris, R.H., D.P. Abbott, and E.C. Haderlie. 1980. Intertidal Invertebrates of California. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California.