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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.
- Abalone – Haliotis cracherodii
- Aggregating anemone – Anthopleura elegantissima
- Chitons – Mopalia spp./Nuttallina californica/Lepidozona spp./others
- Common acorn barnacles – Balanus glandula/Chthamalus dalli/fissus
- Giant green anemone – Anthopleura xanthogrammica
- Hermit crabs – Pagurus spp.
- Honeycomb tube worm – Phragmatopoma californica
- Limpets – Lottia spp.
- Leaf barnacle – Pollicipes polymerus
- Ochre sea star – Pisaster ochraceus
- Owl limpet – Lottia gigantea
- Pink acorn barnacle – Tetraclita rubescens
- Purple sea urchin – Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
- Sea mussel – Mytilus californianus
- Sunburst anemone – Anthopleura sola
- Turban snails – Tegula brunnea/funebralis
- Whelks – Acanthinucella spp./Nucella spp.
- * Broken back shrimps – Heptacarpus spp.
- * Bat star – Patiria miniata
- * Brooding anemone – Epiactis prolifera
- * Six-armed star – Leptasterias hexactis
- * Yellow introduced sponge – Hymeniacidon spp.
- We also monitor:
- Bare rock
- Loose sand
- Tar (petroleum)
Chitons(Mopalia spp./Nuttallina californica/Lepidozona spp./others)
- Description:
- Chitons are a basal group of mollusks. They are oval in shape and have 8 separate, overlapping calcareous plates. The plates are embedded in a tough muscular girdle. They can be many different colors and can be easily overlooked because they are often small and well camouflaged.
- Distribution:
- Alaska to Baja California.
- Habitat:
- Fairly common on intertidal rocky shores; many are nocturnal and remain hidden under rocks in the daytime.
- Diet:
- Chitons scrape algal films off the rocks with their radula; also feed on other algae such as stunted Turkish towel, scouring pad alga, coralline algae, and green-pin cushion alga.
- Fun Fact:
- Like snails and limpets, chitons have a long tongue-like radula used for feeding. The radula has rows of strong, iron-capped teeth that scrape algae off of the rocks. Although they have no real “head” they have many tiny eyes in their shells.
- Reason for Monitoring:
- Important grazers of algae in the intertidal.
- References:
- Morris, R.H., D.P. Abbott, and E.C. Haderlie. 1980. Intertidal Invertebrates of California. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California.