Species Gallery - Invertebrate
SIZE: max. 8 in.
Orange Sea Cucumber
Cucumaria miniataDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Typically wedged in a crevice with only bushy orange-red to brown tentacles showing. (Similar sp. Pale Sea Cucumber has thinner, whispier tentacles and is not orange.)
DESCRIPTION:
10 tentacles of equal size. Orange body with rows of brown tube feet.
SIZE: max. 12 in. in diameter
Leather Star
Dermasterias imbricataDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Smooth leathery skin.
DESCRIPTION:
Blue-gray coloration with red or orange markings. Five arms.
SIZE: max. 24 in. in diameter
Spiny Pink Star
Pisaster brevispinusDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Raised, hump-like appearance of the central disc.
DESCRIPTION:
Pink to gray body. 5 large, stiff rays.
SIZE: max. 3 ft.
Sunflower Star
Pycnopodia helianthoidesDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: One of the largest sea stars in the world with 20-24 arms.
DESCRIPTION:
Color varies from purple, red, pink, brown, orange, yellow or white with a soft, flexible surface. Surface is covered with many white bumps.
SIZE: max. 1/4 in. high and 4 in. in diameter
Eccentric Sand Dollar
Dendraster excentricusDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Flat disc shape covered with short, hair-like spines.
DESCRIPTION:
Lavender-gray, red-brown to purple coloration. 5 petal-shaped loops of tube feet on the dorsal surface. Found in soft sediment, standing on end.
SIZE: 4 in. shell diameter, max. 1.6 in. high
Green Sea Urchin
Strongylocentrotus droebachiensisDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Short, light green spines.
DESCRIPTION:
Browish-green external covering. Dark tube feet are present around the entire body.
SIZE: max. 6 in. in diameter and 2 in. high
Red Sea Urchin
Strongylocentrotus franciscanusDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Spines are twice as long and more numerous than those of similar Purple Sea Urchin.
DESCRIPTION:
Red to purple-black. Abundant, long sharp spines.
SIZE: 10 in. and longer
Giant Nudibranch
Dendronotus irisDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: White line occurs along the base of the foot.
DESCRIPTION:
Numerous paired, branching gills along its back. Color is highly variable, ranging from white to gray, orange or pink. Feathery cerata are often tipped with orange, yellow, or purple. Large.
SIZE: max. 2 in.
Opalescent Nudibranch
Hermissenda crassicornisDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Bright orange line down the center of head and back. Orange and white tipped gills.
DESCRIPTION:
Small nudibranch with many evenly spaced, slender gills. Vague blue line follows the edges of the foot and down the center of the back. Very small.
SIZE: max. 7 in.
White-lined Dirona
Dirona albolineataDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: White lines around the edges of each cerata, gills, tail and the edge of frontal veil.
DESCRIPTION:
Flattened and pointed gills. Background color is a translucent grayish white, salmon, or purple.
SIZE: max. 1.75 in.
Yellow Margin Dorid
Cadlina luteomarginataDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: White body has a yellow margin and many low tubercles tipped with yellow.
DESCRIPTION:
Flat body with a small, rounded tuft of gills at the back of the body. (Similar sp. Hudson’s yellow margin dorid is found only shallow subtidal depths and has larger sensory organs in the front.)
SIZE: max. 10 ft. arm spread
Giant Pacific Octopus
Octopus dofleiniDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Size distinguishes giant Pacific octopus from small fist-sized red octopus.
DESCRIPTION:
Reddish brown coloration can vary with background. 8 suction cup-filled arms are 3-5 times the length of the body. Look for a pile of discarded shells to find the opening to a den.
SIZE: max. 3.5 in.
Leafy Hornmouth
Ceratastoma foliatumDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Three frilled, wing-like projections that protrude from the top and on each side of the shell.
DESCRIPTION:
Large “tooth” projects from the aperture, used to force open shells of prey.
SIZE: max. 5.5 in.
Lewis's Moonsnail
Euspira lewisiiDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Massive mantle almost wraps completely around the shell.
DESCRIPTION:
Large, round creamy-colored or pinkish shell. Soft body is translucent brown or gray. Only found in soft sediment. Lays eggs in a clay-like, round mass.
SIZE: max. 6 in.
Oregon Triton
Fusitriton oregonensisDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Hairy gray-brown projections along ridges in shell.
DESCRIPTION:
Large, brown shell with 6 whorls.
SIZE: max. 13 in.`
Gumboot Chiton
Cryptochiton stelleriDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Reddish brown coloration, covered by a leathery girdle. Size. (Gumboot Chiton is the largest chiton in the world.)
DESCRIPTION:
Oval-elongated. Yellow underside with large, broad foot.
SIZE: max. 7 in.
Northern Abalone
Haliotis kamtschatkanaDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Thin, oval shell with 3-6 open holes.
DESCRIPTION:
Shell is mottled greenish and reddish brown with areas of white or blue. Radial ridges span over a spiral sculpture. Only abalone in Pacific Northwest.
SIZE: max. 10 in.
Rock Scallop
Crassedoma giganteumDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Irregular exterior with ribs and many spiny projections.
DESCRIPTION:
Round, thick shell. One of the largest scallops in the world. An orange mantle with sensory tentacles and blue eyes fringes the shell. Permanently attached to substrate, does not detach and swim around.
SIZE: max. 5 ft. high and 3 ft. in diameter
Chimney Sponge
Rhabdocalyptus dawsoni/Staurocalyptus dowlingiDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Large, long, tube-shaped sponge.
DESCRIPTION:
Often looks fuzzy due to sedimentation. Found hanging on deep rock walls and reefs or standing on rocks.
SIZE: Individuals to 1/4 in. height/diameter. Colonies to 8 in. across.
Orange Social Ascidian
Metandrocarpa taylori/duraDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Bright orange or red coloration.
DESCRIPTION:
Form mat-like colonies in areas of current.