The Rocky Shore

1. The Rocky Shore Black Rock, Kings County Thursday, May 22th

2. The Upper Shore • The upper shore is under water only a few hours each day. Conditions vary from hot summer days to freshwater rainfalls to winter ice. • All the creatures here have some structure or behavior to prevent themselves and their young from drying up.

3. Mollusks • There are two main classes of mollusks in the intertidal zone, gastropods & bivalves. • Gastropods are characterized by their large foot, rasping radula (tongue) and mantle or shell. • The five main types of gastropods are: rough, smooth, & common periwinkles, limpets, and dog whelks.

4. Rough Periwinkle • Common in the splash zone & beneath rocks in other parts of the shore. • These little snails are quite tough. • They are able to withstand the highest variation in the environmental conditions • Tend to be smallest snails & cone shaped • Graze on cyanobacteria & other algae

6. Arthropods (Crustaceans)

7. Barnacles • They may look like mollusks with their shell-like covering BUT they are actually crustaceans (related to lobsters, crabs, & shrimps) • Feed on plankton they sweep from the water with their fan-like feet! (cirri) • Main predators are whelks • Blue mussel is a competitor for space possibly outgrowing & smothering barnacles.

8. Barnacles

10. Feeding Barnacle

11. Barnacles fertilizing

12. The Middle Shore • This zone is covered by seawater 1/2 the time. Plants and animals have more water time to feed and breed. Motile animals travel about during high tide with lots of time to find shelter. • Ropy brown rockweeds drape the rocks at low tide, but during high tide their air bladders let them float.

13. Green Crab

14. Amphipod • Shrimp-like • flattened laterally (sideways) • Larger type is called a scud (Gammerus) • Smaller ones are called sand fleas

15. Smooth Periwinkle • Commonly found in the Middle Shore • Also graze on cyanobacteria and other algae • Tend to be larger than the rough periwinkle • Small & round shells

16. Smooth Periwinkle

17. Blue Mussel • Bivalve • filter feeder • foot allows movement • does not burrow • attaches to rocks using bysal fibers (protein threads)

18. Dogwhelks • Predator • Large as common periwinkle • Eat other snails & bivalves by making holes in shells & scooping out the meat using their radula.

19. Dogwelks

20. Echinoderms • Predators which prey on mussels & other slow moving shelled animals • They are like sea urchins in that they move using tube feet • Spines are smaller • Feed by everting their stomach into or onto a food source

21. Starfish

22. Fucus (Rockweed)

23. The Lower Shore • This zone is covered by sea water except during low tide. • This is the kelp zone with lots of brown kelp. • Watch for adaptations of shape and behavior that helps plants and animals to hang on while pounded by crashing surf.

24. Common Periwinkle • Also graze on cyanobacteria & other algae • They are the largest of the periwinkles • Large & wide cone shape

25. Brittle Star

26. Sea Urchin • Common to Lower Shore • May be found in tide pools • Grazers with spines • Skeleton are often found washed up on beach (test)

27. Irish Moss (Chondrus crispus)

28. Laminaria (kelp)

29. Horsetail Kelp

30. Hermit Crab

31. Rock Crab • Scavengers • Found under seaweed • Hide under rocks or in sand • Certain times of year they will molt their shells

32. Sea Slug