Printer-friendly version
Home

California Invertebrate and Algae Monitoring Program

Below is the list of invertebrate species that are monitored as part of the REEF California Invertebrate & Algae Monitoring Program, a companion to REEF Fish Survey Project in California.

ARTHROPODS

  • Brown Rock Crab -- Cancer antennarius
  • Coonstripe Shrimp -- Pandalus gurneyi/P. danae
  • Masking/Sheep Crab -- Loxorhynchus crispatus/L. grandis
  • Northern Kelp Crab -- Pugettia producta
  • Red Rock Shrimp -- Lysmata californica
  • Spiny Lobster -- Panulirus interruptus

BRYOZOANS

  • Fluted Bryozoan -- Hippodiplosia insculpta
  • Lacy Bryozoan -- Phidolopora labiata
  • Northern Staghorn Bryozoan -- Heteropora pacifica
  • Southern Staghorn Bryozoan -- Diaperoecia californica

CNIDARIANS

  • Strawberry Anemone -- Corynactis californica
  • Tube-Dwelling Anemone -- Pachycerianthus fimbriatus
  • White-Spotted Anemone -- Urticina lofotensis
  • Brown Gorgonian -- Muricea fruticosa
  • California Golden Gorgonian -- Muricea californica
  • Orange Cup Coral -- Balanophyllia elegans
  • Purple Hydrocoral -- Stylaster californicus
  • Red Gorgonian -- Lophogorgia chilensis

ECHINODERMS

  • California Sea Cucumber -- Parastichopus californicus
  • Warty Sea Cucumber -- Parastichopus parvimensis
  • Bat Star -- Asterina miniata
  • Giant Spined Star -- Pisaster giganteus
  • Leather Star -- Dermasterias imbricata
  • Spiny Brittlestar -- Ophiothrix spiculata
  • Sunflower Star -- Pycnopodia helianthoides
  • Crowned Urchin -- Centrostephanus coronatus
  • Eccentric Sand Dollar -- Dendraster excentricus
  • Purple Urchin -- Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
  • Red Urchin -- Strongylocentrotus franciscanus
  • White Urchin -- Lytechinus anamesus

MOLLUSKS

  • Opalescent Nudibranch -- Hermissenda crassicornis
  • Red Sea Hare -- Aplysia californica
  • San Diego Dorid -- Diaulula sandiegensis
  • Sea Lemon -- Peltodoris nobilis
  • Spanish Shawl -- Flabellina iodinea
  • Red Octopus -- Octopus rubescens
  • Two-Spot Octopus -- Octopus bimaculatus
  • Chesnut Cowry -- Cypraea spadicea
  • Giant Keyhole Limpet -- Megathura crenulata
  • Kellet's Whelk -- Kelletia kelletii
  • Lewis' Moon Snai -- Euspira lewisii
  • Red Turban Snail -- Lithopoma gibberosum
  • Wavy Turban Snail -- Lithopoma undosum
  • Green Abalone -- Haliotis fulgens
  • Pink Abalone -- Haliotis corrugata
  • Red Abalone -- Haliotis rufescens
  • Gumboot Chiton -- Cryptochiton stelleri
  • Rock Scallop -- Crassedoma giganteum

SPONGES

  • Cobalt Sponge -- Hymenamphiastra cyanocrypta
  • Orange Puffball Sponge -- Tethya aurantia
  • Red Volcano Sponge -- Acarnus erithacus

TUNICATES

  • Club Tunicate (non-native) -- Styela clava**
  • Light-Bulb Tunicate -- Clavelina huntsmani
  • Stalked Tunicate -- Styela montereyensis

    • **For more information on the invasive tunicates, visit the PNW Scuba Invasive webpage.

WORMS

  • Christmas Tree -- Spirobranchus spinosus
  • Colonial Sand-Tube Worms -- Phragmatopoma californica
  • Feather Duster -- Eudistylia polymorpha

SEAWEEDS

  • Asian Kelp Wakame (non-native)** -- Undaria pinnatifida
  • Bull Kelp -- Nereocystis luetkeana
  • Giant Kelp -- Macrocystis integrifolia/M. pyrifera
  • Northern Sea Palm -- Pterygophora californica
  • Oarweed  -- Laminaria farlowii
  • Southern Sea Palm -- Eisenia arborea

    • **For more information on the invasive wakame kelp, visit the Undaria fact page.