corbjam's Identifications

Common name: Flat Periwinkle Snail or Yellow Periwinkle
Location found: This snail was found on a rock in the intertidal zone at Canoe Beach, Nahant, MA.
Habitat types: Yellow periwinkles are usually found intertidally in the brown algae zone from the Arctic to New Jersey. (Martinez, 2003)
Physical description: The snail was yellow in color and identified due to the fairly flat nature of the curve in its shell (as opposed to the common periwinkle which has a fairly defined point). The snail was about 2 cm in length.
Fun fact: Habitat preferences have been shown to affect where flat periwinkles are found and which species of algae on which they tend to reside. (https://www2.clarku.edu/departments/biology/biol201/2008/jlouxturner/nahant_I_intro.htm)

Common Names: Common Tortoiseshell Limpet
Location Found: found on rocks in the intertidal zone, alive, among other intertidal marine inhabitants
Habitat Types: mid shore into the sublittoral on boulder and small rocks, especially those that bear red algae
Physical Description: small conical, grows up to 25 mm, smooth shell with radiating ridges, shell is dull white, grey, brown or green with a reddish-brown mottling
Fun Fact: This species lays its eggs on firm substrates as a single layer in a mucus sheet!
Source: The Marine Life Information Network - Paolo Pizzolla
https://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/detail/1517

Mytilus edulis, commonly known as the blue mussel, is an intertidal invertebrate that attaches itself to rocks and other hard substrates along the northern Atlantic coasts. This organism was found attached to a rock in the intertidal zone. The blue mussel is distinguished by its triangular and elongate shell with rounded edges and fine concentric growth lines. This species exhibits a variety of colors including purple, blue, and sometimes brown, but is covered by a black colored periostracum. A fun fact about this species is that they reproduce externally, the eggs being fertilized in the water column.

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_mussel

The Atlantic Ribbed Mussel was found in the mud at the salt marsh. The organism is usually found in salt marshes and intertidally in brackish water from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Florida. This species has variable color from mustard to brownish black. It also has radiating ribs on the outside of the shell. A fun fact is that at one point, it was thought to be inedible, but in fact it is!(Marine Life of the North Atlantic, Andrew J. Martinez)

Common Name: Atlantic surf clam
Location Found: sandy beach, found dead
Habitat Types: Found in sandy and muddy substrates from the subtidal to 100 feet (31 m) depth.
Physical Characteristics: Shells heavy and relatively triangular. Strong hinge, large, triangular chondrophore. Shell is yellowish white, periostracum ranges from olive to black. Can grow to a length of 20 cm and a height of 14 cm.
Fun fact: S. solidissima is used by humans for canning and as bait for fish.
References: Martinez, Andrew J. "Marine Life of the North Atlantic: Canada to Cape May." Aqua Quest Publications, 2010, pp. 134-135.

Common Names: Common Slippersnail
Location Found: found on the beach at low tide, dead, among other shells washed up at high tide
Habitat Types: intertidally to 12 m on hard substrate
Physical Description: shape of this species depends on the object that it is attached to, some shells are on the flat side, interior shelf extends up to half the length of the shell, white with brown markings, can grow up to 37 mm
Fun Fact: When this species is "stacked up" the bottom shell if female!
Source: 'Marine Life of the North Atlantic' - Andrew J. Martinez

Location Found- Strawberry Hill Salt marsh in Ipswich Ma. Found resting on exposed marsh mud.

Habitat-Brackish waters of up to 12 meters. Like lower salinity than most marine inverts

Physical Description- Shape is variable depending on growing medium. Color can range from bright white to light yellow.

Fun Fact- State mollusk of Connecticut!

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

Common Names:
Location Found: at the intertidal zone, in a tide pool hiding between rocks
Habitat Types: intertidal, under rocks
Physical Description: light and dark bands on their legs, 1-1.5in shell width
Fun Fact: This is an invasive species to the area and are thought to have been discharged a larvae from water on cargo ships into the sea near the East Coast.
Source: 'Eat The Invaders'
http://eattheinvaders.org/blue-plate-special-asian-shore-crab/

Common Name: Dead Man's Finger

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

Habitat: Intertidal zone on rocks.

Physical Description: Thick, fleshy, branches into forks. Green to dark green.

Fun Fact: Invasive species from Europe. Edible but spongy.

Stewart Van Patten, Margaret. Seaweeds of Long Island Sound. (Connecticut: Connecticut Sea Grant College Program, 2009) 21.

Semibalanus balanoides, commonly known as the acorn barnacle, is a species of barnacle found on rocks and other hard substrates along both coasts of North America. It can be found from the intertidal zone down to as deep as 500 m. These organisms were found while scuba diving in around 20 ft of water. This large conical barnacle can grow up to 51 mm in both height and width and are greyish-white in color. A fun fact about this species is to be more tolerant of desiccation, they have adapted their bodies to have 6 rather than 8 wall plates.

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

This shell of a dog whelk was found on the beach of Plum Island at Sandy Point State Reserve. This species is generally found on rocks inter tidally in crevices from Labrador to Rhode Island. The shell is thick, rough, solid and pointed at both ends. It has five whorls, a short spire and a blunt apex with an oval aperture. The color varies from white to yellow to brown. A fun fact is that their food source partially determines their color. Those that feed on mussels are browner. (Marine Life of the North Atlantic, Andrew J. Martinez)

Location Found- Strawberry Hill Salt marsh in Ipswich Ma. Found resting on exposed marsh mud. Dead

Habitat- Intertidally found on sandy or mud bottoms from Gulf of Maine to Gulf of Mexico

Physical Description- Horseshoe shape shell with a frightening looking tail. Has two compound eyes and many more eye-spots that line the perimeter of the shell.

Distinguishing feature- It looks like a horseshoe and a crab crossed into one creature

Fun Fact- Telson (tail) is only used for fixing a capsize. Not dangerous.

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

Littorina littoria, more commonly known as the common periwinkle is an intertidal species native to the rocky coasts of the northeastern and introduced to the northwestern Atlantic ocean. This organism was found attached to a rock in the intertidal zone. Shell width for this species ranges from 10-12 mm and length 16-38 mm. Its color varies from grayish to grayish-brown and often has dark colored bands. A fun fact about this species is that it reproduces via internal fertilization of egg capsules.

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_periwinkle

Fucus vesiculosus, commonly known as bladder wrack, is distributed along the Atlantic coast of North America on sheltered shores from the middle littoral to lower intertidal zones. This organism was found washed up on the beach. One distinguishing feature of this species is its paired spherical air bladders located on each side of the mid-rib. This olive colored algae can grow up to 90 cm long and 2.5 cm wide, having a prominent midrib throughout. A fun fact about this species is that it is a source of iodine, used in the 1800s to treat goitre.

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fucus_vesiculosus

Common Name: European Flat Oyster

Found in Salem Harbor, MA during mid-tide on the sandy beach.

Habitat: Invasive to New England, found intertidally and subtidally. Found on hard substrates.

Physical Description: Typically rounder than native oysters, flat grey-whitish shell, can grow up to 8 in. in length!

Fun fact: Salem Harbor in MA has some of the densest concentrations of european flat oyster in the Gulf of Maine.

Source: https://www.salemsound.org/mis/MISOstrea.pdf

Common Name: Sea Lettuce

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

Habitat: Intertidal zones with abundant nutrients.

Physical Description: Bright green in color. A single flat, leafy blade.

Fun Fact: Edible.

Stewart Van Patten, Margaret. Seaweeds of Long Island Sound. (Connecticut: Connecticut Sea Grant College Program, 2009) 26.

Chondrus crispus, commonly known as Irish moss, is distributed across the rocky shores of the Atlantic coasts of North America and Europe from the middle intertidal down to the subtidal zone. This organism was found washed up on the beach. This species can be distinguished by its dichotomous branching in a fan-like manner and its firm texture. It can grow up to 20 cm in length, the branches being 2-15 mm broad. Its color can range from light to dark green, dark red, purple, brown, yellowish, and even white. A fun fact about this species is that it undergoes an alteration of generations life cycle.

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chondrus_crispus

Common Names: Green Crab
Location Found: found near a tide pool at low tide hiding in rocks, alive
Habitat Types: among rocks intertidally to shallow water
Physical Description: 3 frontal teeth, and 5 on either side of the eye socket, last pair of legs are somewhat flattened, carapace of male is green, ventral side is yellowish, females are orange-red ventrally, they can grow up to 67 mm long and 76 mm wide
Fun Fact: When it is time for a females eggs to hatch she stands on her toes, and will then use her appendages to poke the eggs, stimulating more eggs to hatch!
Source: 'Marine Life of the North Atlantic' - Andrew J. Martinez

Common Name: Knotted Wrack

Found attached to rocks and boulders during low tide in Nahant, MA.

Habitat: North Atlantic Basin, Found intertidally and attached to hard substrate.

Physical Description: Brown seaweed, with singular air bladders located periodically up the stem.

Fun Fact: Harvested for alginate, which is used in biotech and foods.

Source: http://www.seaweed.ie/descriptions/ascophyllum_nodosum.php