Helpful Hints for Understanding Gumboot Chitons
o Where to find them: in tidepools and in the low tidal zone.
o How to distinguish them from other chitons: all chitons have eight plates but
only the gumboot chiton has a soft rusty-red mantle that covers them. Gumboot
chitons are much bigger than other chitons. They can be as big as an adult’s
foot.
o What they eat: they are herbivores that graze on algae.
o How they eat: chitons scrape off the thin layer of algae that grows on rock.
They scrape with their mouth parts called radulas.
o The anatomy of chitons (the underside):
Mouth part
Strong belly foot
Soft-textured girdle (covers top)
Helpful Hints for Understanding Purple Sea Urchins
o Where to find them: in tidepools and exposed rock.
o What they eat: algae, seaweed and plankton.
o How they eat: sea urchins use their long spikes to spear food. The tube feet
move it down to the sea urchin’s mouth, which is located on the underside of
the animal.
o The anatomy of sea urchins:
Top View
Anus
Gonads
-Spines (light purple)
-Tube feet (dark purple)
Skeleton
Mouth
http://neurophilosophy.com
http://www.biosbcc.net
Bottom View
Helpful Hints for Understanding Ochre Sea Stars
o Where to find them: mid to lower tidepools attached to rocks; look in shady
spots. Keep trying to find ones that are loose from the rock.
o How to distinguish it from other sea stars: ochre sea stars only come in
shades of orange, purple, and rose; they only have five arms while some other
species of sea stars have more than five.
o What they eat: ochre sea stars are carnivores and prey on California mussels,
barnacles and snails.
o How they eat: the mouth is actually on the underside of the animal facing the
rock. When it finds its prey, it exerts its stomach around its meal. Stomach acid
dissolves the small animals and the resulting liquid is absorbed by the sea star.
o The anatomy of sea stars (the underside):
Long tube feet that work as sensors
Regenerates lost arms
Stomach (eating
barnacles)
Tiny white suctioning tube feet
Helpful Hints for Understanding Giant Green Anemones
o Where to find them: in tidepools and on low rocks in the middle to lower tidal
zones.
o How to distinguish them from other anemones: giant green anemones can
grow to be as big as a dinner plate, though most are smaller. Their color is sea
green or turquoise.
o What they eat: small animals and meaty scraps.
o How they eat: the green tentacles of the anemone shoots out harpoon-like
stinging cells that grab onto and paralyze their prey. Then they push the food
into its mouth where its stomach juices dissolve the food before spitting out the
remains.
o The anatomy of anemone:
Mouth
Tentacles with stinging cells.
This is also an anemone, it’s just closed up.
Helpful Hints for Understanding Mussels
o Where to find them: middle intertidal on exposed rock.
o How to distinguish them other bivalves: mussels live in large groups and
are semi-permanently attached to the rock with long strings called byssal
threads. You can tell them apart from other bivalves like cockles, scallops,
and clams by the dark blue color and distinct lines.
o What they eat: plankton.
o How they eat: when the tide comes in the animal replenishes itself with
oxygen and food by siphoning water over its gills. These gills are exposed
to the water as it enters the opened shells (like a baby bird).
o The anatomy of mussels:
Site of water entry
Base
http://greenmussel.ifas.ufl.edu
Byssal threads
Helpful Hints for Understanding Purple Shore Crabs
o Where to find them: under rocks and along the upper intertidal.
o How to distinguish them from other crabs: purple shore crabs are usually purple
tinged and sometimes reddish brown. They have purple-red spots on claw.
o What they eat: shore crabs feed primarily on seaweed and algae, but will enjoy
the occasionally floating animal carcass.
o How they eat: they use their front claws to grab onto the food and brings it to its
mouth.
o The anatomy of crabs:
Carapace Pincer
Walking legs
www.track0.com
Eye stalk
Antenna
Mouth
Helpful Hints for Understanding Barnacles
o Where to find them: upper tidal zone on exposed rock.
o What they eat: plankton.
o How they eat: when the tide comes up they extend a feathery plume
that catches small particles of food. The food is then scraped off by the
mouth part inside the shells.
o Anatomy of barnacles:
Inner plates (from which
feeding occurs)
http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu
Underside attached to rock with a cement shell