taraduffy's Identifications

Common Name: Crustose Algae
Location Found: found while diving at 12 ft on a rock at the bottom of the sea floor among other rocks, shells, and algae
Habitat Types: found on hard substrate, intertidally to subtidally
Physical Description: greenish, pinkish reds and browns, size varies, appear as a crust, a cushion or a stain
Fun Fact: This species is some among some of the deepest-growing algae!
Source: 'Marine Life of the North Atlantic' - Andrew J. Martinez

Lithothamnion glaciale is a form of crustose algae distributed along the Atlantic coast of North America as well as the northeast coast of the Atlantic. This species is found encrusting rock, boulders, pebbles, shells, etc at a depth range of 0 to 70 m. This organism was found while scuba diving in 10 ft of water, encrusting a mussel shell. This species can reach up to 20 cm across. It is usually found to be deep pink in color with some hues of violet. A fun fact about this species is that it also can be found as a free-living fragile branched nodules.

References:
https://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/detail/1314

Common name: Fern Bryozoan
Scientific name: Bugula turrita

Habitat types: epiphytic on eel grass and algae, found on rocks.

Observed: in the salt marsh, but possible washed ashore into the muddy area.

Physical description: bushy, tufted, light yellow.

Fun fact: Dried Bugula is often used as decorations.

Used the Martinez guide: Marine Life of the North Atlantic to identify.

Heterosiphonia plumosa is found on sand covered rocks in the low intertidal. This red alga has bushy, deep red-brown fronds, arising from a basal disc. Branching is repeated pinnate, branches are spreading and alternate. They are an invasive species from the Pacific where it occurs in Japan, China and Korea, and from Alaska to California. Using a microscope, it can be seen that main
branches are multiple cells thick and side branches coming off
of the main branch are one cell thick. This is an identifying characteristic!
Source:
http://www.seaweed.ie/descriptions/Heterosiphonia_japonica.php

Fun Fact:
It was first found on the east coast of the U.S. in 2009 in Rhode Island and first found in Maine in 2011.
http://vitalsignsme.org/sites/default/files/content/ci_heterosiponia_japonica_112712.pdf

Common name(s): Eastern Mud Sail
Location found: On the muddy bottom of a tidal creek next to a salt marsh in Ipswich, MA
Habitat types: Found in intertidal areas with a muddy bottom
Physical description: 15mm-30mm long, with a shell that has 5-6 whorls the shelly is faintly decorated with beaded lines.
Fun fact: While native in Massachusetts Tritia obsoleta is an invasive species in San Francisco Bay
https://www.exoticsguide.org/ilyanassa_obsoleta

Location found: This dead Threeline Mudsnail was found on the berm of Long Beach, Nahant, MA.

Habitat types: Its range extends from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Florida, and can be found on sandy or muddy bottoms intertidally to 90m.

Physical description: The shell of the Threeline Mudsnail is elongate and ovate with a high, conical spire and a convex body whorl. The aperture is ovate and notched at both ends; outer lip is thin, inner lip is strongly arched. Color is generally whitish to tan, but can darken to this observed brown color. Max size is 1.9cm.

Fun fact: Also known as the Basket Whelk and Dog Whelk, it is a scavenger and often found on dead fish.

Martinez, Andrew. Marine Life of the North Atlantic: Canada to Cape May. New York: Aqua Quest Publications, Inc. 1994.

Common name: Carpet Sea Squirt
Scientific name: Didemnum vexillum

Habitat types: covers hard substrate in shallow areas up to 213'.

Observed: Night diving on canoe beach about 25' at the chimney's on the rocks.

Physical description: Encrusting, yellow

Fun fact: Was possibly introduced to the area from shipping boats and is highly invasive.

Used the Martinez guide: Marine Life of the North Atlantic to identify.

Common name: Atlantic surfclam
Scientific name: Spisula solidissima

Habitat types: sand and mud from low tide to 100'
Observed: Dead; While walking my dog along Pavilion Beach.

Physical description: heavy, large, triangular shell, white with a large brown spot.

Fun fact: Gulls are seen carrying and dropping the calm on hard surfaces to break the shell.

Used the Martinez guide: Marine Life of the North Atlantic to identify.

Common name: Fern Bryozoan
Scientific name: Bugula turrita

Habitat types: epiphytic on eel grass and algae, found on rocks.

Observed: in the salt marsh, but possible washed ashore into the muddy area.

Physical description: bushy, tufted, light yellow.

Fun fact: Dried Bugula is often used as decorations.

Used the Martinez guide: Marine Life of the North Atlantic to identify.

This shell from an Atlantic Surfclam (Spisula solidissima) was found while diving by the jetty at Green Harbor. Approximate depth:7 feet
Atlantic surfclams are typically found in sand and mud from the low tide line to a depth of 100 feet. Atlantic surfclams can be found from Nova Scotia to South Carolina. Atlantic surfclams are identified by their large yellow beaks and fine concentric lines on the surface of their triangular shell. Atlantic surfclams range in color from white, yellow and black. Atlantic surfclams can grow to be 8 inches long and 5 inches tall. The Atlantic surfclam extends it's foot between it's valves and buries itself in the sand, exposing only their siphons.

Common name: Dog Whelk
Location: Boothbay
Habitat: Rocky shores and estuaries.
Physical description: Small rounded shells with a pointed spire.
Fun fact: Used to produce red-purple and violet dyes.

Common name(s): Eastern Mud Sail
Location found: On the muddy bottom of a tidal creek next to a salt marsh in Ipswich, MA
Habitat types: Found in intertidal areas with a muddy bottom
Physical description: 15mm-30mm long, with a shell that has 5-6 whorls the shelly is faintly decorated with beaded lines.
Fun fact: While native in Massachusetts Tritia obsoleta is an invasive species in San Francisco Bay
https://www.exoticsguide.org/ilyanassa_obsoleta

Common name(s): Marine springtail
Location found: Pump house beach Nahant MA, on surface tension of tidepool
Habitat types: surface tension of tidepools
Physical description: Six legs, cylindrical body covered in small hairs, slate blue in color, 3mm in length, singular short pair of antennae, abdomen has 6 segments, thorax has three segments

Fun fact: Unlike most springtails marine springtails cannot actually ‘spring’ themselves into the air.
Information from: https://www.theseashore.org.uk/theseashore/SpeciesPages/Additional%20Species/Springtails%20marine.jpg.html
https://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/detail/2110

Common name: Rock crab, Atlantic rock crab
Location found: This crab species occurs on the eastern coast of North America, from Iceland to South Carolina
Habitat type(s): Rock crabs live over a large depth range, from well above the low tide line to as deep as 790 m. They live on a variety of substrate types including rocky and loose material.
Physical description: This crab has nine marginal teeth on the front edge of the carapace beside each eye, and reaches a carapace (with purpleish-brown spots that distinguishes it from the Jonah crab which has yellow spots) width of 133 mm
Fun fact: Cancer irroratus's salinity tolerance changes throughout its life cycle

Common name: oyster thief and bladder weed.

Location found: alive individuals found at 15 ft while scuba diving, attached on rocks.

Habitat type: this species is found in littoral rock pools, in localities that are not exposed, and also in the sublittoral to a depth of 3m.

Physical description: it is a small brown alga, bladder-like, hollow and membranous, up to 9 cm across. The surface is thin and smooth but often collapsed or torn when older. Olive brown in colour and attached by rhizoidal filaments to rock at the base.

Common Name: Orange Sheath Tunicate

Location: Found on the bottom of a tidepool near seawall picnic area, Southwest Harbor, ME.

Habitat: Hard substrate in protected areas at the low-tide line to shallow subtidal waters along the entire Atlantic Coast.

Physical Description: Colonial, forming fleshy crust. Zooids arranged in twisting rows. Color varies from orange to yellow to reddish.

Fun fact: This tunicate is prey for gastropods and nudibranchs.

Source: Martinez, Andrew J. Marine life of the North Atlantic: Canada to New England. Aqua Quest Publications, Inc., 2003.

Common Name: Crustose Algae
Location Found: found while diving at 12 ft on a rock at the bottom of the sea floor among other rocks, shells, and algae
Habitat Types: found on hard substrate, intertidally to subtidally
Physical Description: greenish, pinkish reds and browns, size varies, appear as a crust, a cushion or a stain
Fun Fact: This species is some among some of the deepest-growing algae!
Source: 'Marine Life of the North Atlantic' - Andrew J. Martinez

Location Found- Found 10 ft deep of off pumphouse beach in Nahant, MA

Habitat-Found intertidally to subtidally from the arctic circle to the New Jersey

Physical Description- Grows like turf on rocks with flat dichotomously-branched algae. Usually deep red. NO bumps were found on the stalk or blades

Fun Fact- Can be harvested for an emulsifying extract called carrageenin.

Source: 'Marine Life of the North Atlantic' - Andrew J. Martinez 2010

Photo taken under a microscope

Location: Found dead washed onshore at Pump House Beach, Nahant, MA.

Habitat: Lower intertidal waters.

Physical Description: Bushy red fibers with many alternating branches along a central axis. Puffs a bit at tips of branches.

Fun Fact: Invasive, originally from the Pacific Ocean.

http://www.seaweed.ie/descriptions/Dasysiphonia_japonica.php