Common Fishes of the Intertidal Zone
Striped Killifish. Males and females have different markings-­‐ males have more than a dozen vertical bars, females two to three dark stripes. Up to 18 cm long. Figure 1 Striped Killifish Fundulus majalis Mummichog. Blunt snout, silvery vertical bars. More likely in brackish marshes than freshwater or saltwater beaches, but can b e found in all three. Up to 13 cm. Male and female shown. Figure 2 Mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus Banded Killifish. A freshwater species that will occasionally be found in salt marshes with F. heteroclitus. Narrower body, prominent bars. Figure 3 Banded Killifish Fundulus diaphanous Sheepshead Minnow. Stocky build, blunt snout, mottled pattern. Common in weedy areas regardless of salinity. Females have a spot on the back of the dorsal fin. Up to 8 cm. Figure 4 Sheepshead Minnow Cyprinodon variegatus Striped Mullet. Silvery. Each scale has a dark spot at the base (white mullet do not). Known for leaping when netted. Up to 90 cm, but more commonly less than 50 cm. Figure 5 Striped Mullet Mugil cephalus Silverside. One of the most common baitfish in our area. Long silver stripe down body. Longer body compared to bay anchovy (below). Up to 15 cm. Also called ‘spearing’ or ‘shiners’. Figure 6 Silverside Menidia spp. Bay Anchovy. Head and snout very short, large eye and mouth. Silver stripe down body. Often translucent body, especially in small specimens. Up to 10 cm. Figure 7 Bay Anchovy Anchoa mitchilli Menhaden. Silvery, with pale yellowish fins. Adults and large young have a dark spot behind the pectoral fin. Sharp ventral side. Up to 35 cm. Also known as ‘bunker’. Figure 8 Menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus Figure 9 Atlantic Mackerel Scomber scombrus Atlantic Mackerel. Often bluish or greenish, with wavy bars that stop at the lateral line. No spots below bars. Up to 56 cm. Atlantic Herring. Silvery, with greenish back. No spots. Up to 45 cm. Uncommon. Figures 10 to 12 easily confused. Figure 10 Atlantic Herring Clupea harengus Blueback Herring. Usually one small shoulder spot, silvery with a bluish back. Eye relatively small, about the same diameter as the distance from snout tip to eye. To 30 cm. Figure 11 Blueback Herring Alosa aestivalis Figure 12 Alewife Alosa psuedoharengus Alewife. Silvery, with greenish back. Usually one small shoulder spot. Eye large, diameter greater than the distance from snout tip to eye. To 30 cm. American Eel. Greenish b rown, muscular. Lower jaw longer than the upper. Slippery. Sometimes exceeds 90 cm. Found in all salinities. Figure 13 American Eel Anguilla rostrata Atlantic Needlefish. Long, toothy snout. Very slender and silvery. Dorsal fin set far back, even with anal fin. Up to 60 cm. Figure 14 Atlantic Needlefish Strongylura marina Northern Pipefish. Usually brown, mottled, but no distinct pattern. Hard, b oxy body. Small round tail fin. Lives in grassy areas in shallow water. Up to 30 cm. Figure 15 Northern Pipefish Syngnathus fuscus Inshore Lizardfish. Has about 8 diamond shapes along the flanks. Wide, toothy mouth. Up to 45 cm. Figure 16 Inshore Lizardfish Synodus foetens Summer Flounder. Large mouthed flounder, teeth visible. Mouth to the left of the eyes. Often has spots. Commonly called ‘fluke’. Up to 94 cm, but sizes around 30 cm much more common. Figure 17 Summer Flounder Paralichthys dentatus Windowpane Flounder. Body and fins covered with many spots. Mouth to the left of the eyes. Small specimens are thin enough to allow light through (hence the name). Also known as ‘sundial’ or ‘sanddab’. Up to 45 cm. Figure 18 Windowpane Flounder Scopthalmus aquosus Winter Flounder. Small, d ark flounder. Mouth small, to the right of the eyes. Often speckled. Up to 64 cm, but sizes in the 5 to 10 cm range common when seining. Figure 19 Winter Flounder Psuedopleuronectes americanus Hogchoker. Squat little flounder, usually dark brown with bands across body. Occasionally has spots of brown on underside. Likes to stick to the sides of buckets when captured. Up to 20 cm, but usually much smaller. Figure 20 Hogchoker Trinectes maculatus Bluefish. Silvery, often greenish or bluish above. Deeply forked tail. Aggressive, with sharp teeth. Up to 110 cm. Juveniles less than 30 cm are often called ‘snappers’. Figure 21 Bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix Striped Bass. Silvery, with 7-­‐8 dark stripes on sides. Less evident in juveniles (shown). Two dorsal fins. Up to 150 cm. Figure 22 Striped Bass Morone saxatilis Figure 23 Blackfish Tautoga onitis Blackfish. Snout blunt, mottled vertical bars. Juveniles can vary in color from bright green to near black. Prefers rocky, vegetated areas and shellfish beds. 16 or 17 spines on d orsal fin. Up to 90 cm. Also known as ‘tautog’. Cunner. Usually greenish with mottled vertical bars. Pointed snout. 18 spines on dorsal fin. Prefers rocky, vegetated areas and shellfish beds. Up to 35 cm. Also known as ‘bergal’. Figure 24 Cunner Tautogolabrus adspersus Figure 25 Fourspine Stickleback Apeltes quadracus Fourspine Stickleback. 4 to 5 dorsal spines; first 3-­‐4 free, last spine attached to dorsal fin. Pelvic fins directly b elow pectoral fins. Usually mottled pattern, brown to black and silvery below. Up to 6 cm. Threespine Stickleback. 3 dorsal spines; first 2 free, last spine attached to d orsal fin. Pelvic fins behind pectoral fins. Body often h as bony plates on sides. Variably dark above, silvery on sides and bottom. Up to 10 cm. Figure 26 Threespine Stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus Northern Searobin. Body mottled above, spot at rear edge of dorsal fin. Broad pectoral fins resemble wings, six pectoral fin rays resemble legs. Well armored head. Up to 38 cm. Figure 27 Northern Searobin Prionotus carolinus Northern Kingfish. Dark diagonal bars on grey to silver body. Long spines at front of dorsal fin. Up to 45 cm. Figure 28 Northern Kingfish Menticirrhus saxatilis Naked Goby. 9 to 11 broad dark bars behind head. No scales o n body. Rests on bottom. Up to 6 cm. Figure 29 Naked Goby Gobiosoma bosci Oyster Toadfish. Body brownish, blotched with gold and dark b rown. Well camouflaged. Small first dorsal, long second dorsal fin. Broad pectoral fins. Fringe of skin around h ead. Up to 38 cm. Figure 30 Oyster Toadfish Opsanus tau Crevalle Jack. Juveniles are yellowish, with vertical bars, including bar through eye. Lateral line straight. Adults reach 150 cm, but juveniles typically caught on Long Island. Figure 31 Crevalle Jack Caranx hippos Butterfish. Silvery. No pelvic fins. Second dorsal and anal fins almost reflections of one another. Up to 30 cm. Figure 32 Butterfish Peprilus triacanthus Permit. Pelvic fin and front of anal fin orange. No stripes. Anal fin has three spines, first two detached. Adults reach 110 cm. Juvenile pictured here. Figure 33 Permit Trachinotus falcatus Lookdown. Silvery, iridescent; often with yellow or brassy highlights. Body extremely compressed. Front of head very steep. Lobes at front of dorsal and anal fins long and trailing, streamer-­‐like. Up to 30 cm. Figure 34 Lookdown Selene vomer Filefish. Varied color, tan to greenish, with blotches throughout. Dorsal spine tall and barbed. Up to 25 cm. Figure 35 Planehead Filefish Monacanthus hispidus Northern Puffer. Dark olive above, with many tiny black spots. Black bar between eyes. White b elow, no markings. Slightly prickly. Up to 36 cm. Also known as ‘blowfish’. Figure 36 Northern Puffer Sphoeroides maculatus Striped Burrfish. Body yellowish brown, with dark brown stripes. White to yellowish below. Thick blunt spines on squarish body. Up to 25 cm. Uncommon. Figure 37 Striped Burrfish Chilomycterus schoepfi Common Arthropods of the Intertidal Zone
Blue Crab. Two sharp pincers, elongated carapace with long spines on the long ends. Nine points from eye to edge of carapace, including long spines. Last pair of legs flattened into swimmerets. Up to 22cm. Figure 38 Blue Crab Callinectes sapidus (adult) Figure 38a Blue Crab Callinectes sapidus (juvenile) Lady Crab. Two sharp pincers, pentagonal carapace. Five points from eye to edge of carapace. Last pair of legs flattened into swimmerets. Up to 7 cm. Commonly called ‘calico crab’. Figure 39 Lady Crab Ovalipes ocellatus Green Crab. Broad p incers, 4 pairs of walking legs. Olive above, pale green or orange below. Five points from eye to edge of carapace. Up to 7 cm. Figure 40 Green Crab Carcinus maenus Figure 41 Spider Crab Libinia emarginata Spider Crab. Long p incers, mature males more robust than females. Knobby carapace. Often festooned with algae, especially juveniles. Carapace up to 10 cm, leg span up to 30 cm. Asian Shore Crab. This invasive species is found under rocks in the intertidal zone. Square carapace, mottled or patterned, color varies. Overall quite flat. Three spines from eye to edge of carapace. Up to 4 cm. Figure 42 Asian Shore Crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus Rock Crab. Broad, oval carapace. Nine small spines from eye to edge of carapace. Reddish coloration. Up to 13 cm. Figure 43 Rock Crab Cancer irroratus Mud Crab. Several similar species. Small, dark colored crab. Carapace twice as wide as long. Claws unequal, black ‘fingertips’. Up to 4 cm. Figure 44 Mud Crab Panopeus spp. Figure 45 Long-­‐clawed Hermit Crab. Pagurus longicarpus Long-­‐clawed Hermit Crab. Small hermit crab, often associated with periwinkle, mud snail or oyster drill shells. One pincer larger than the other and cylindrically shaped. Only two pairs of walking legs. Carapace less than 1 cm long. Flat-­‐clawed Hermit Crab. Dominant claw flat and broad, covered in tubercles. Pinkish to orange color. Dominant pincer much larger than the other. Two pairs of walking legs. Carapace up to 3 cm. Often found in moon snail or small whelk shells. Figure 46 Flat-­‐clawed Hermit Crab Pagurus pollicaris Figure 47 Horseshoe Crab Limulus polyphemus Horseshoe Crab. You can’t confuse this with any other animal. Females large, up to 30 cm long, males somewhat smaller. Males first pair of pincers are rounded, like boxing gloves. Juveniles are sand-­‐colored. Mole Crab. Egg-­‐shaped and sand colored. Live beneath the sand of the intertidal zone, emerging to feed in the surf. Excellent swimmers and b urrowers. Females to 2.5 cm, males half that. Figure 48 Mole Crab Emerita talpoida Mantis Shrimp. Somewhat shrimplike, flattened profile. Three pairs of walking legs, three pairs of feeding legs, and a large pair of predatory claws. The claws are dangerous. Up to 25 cm. Uncommon. Figure 49 Mantis Shrimp Squilla empusa Sand Shrimp. Short rostrum (nose spike), long antennae. Dorsally compressed, often speckled like sand. Up to 7 cm long. Figure 50 Sand Shrimp Crangon septemspinosa Shore Shrimp. Long rostrum (nose spike) serrated through length. Translucent to pale sand colored. Up to 5 cm long. Figure 51 Shore Shrimp Palaemonetes spp.