Mollusks | ||
Atlantic Wing Oyster Pteria colymbus Long dark wing like valves extend from hinge. | Atlantic Thorny Oyster Spondylus americanus Numerous scattered spines cover surface, shells vary in color from white, yellow, orange, red and purple but generally overgrown by other organisms. | Antillean Fileclam Limaria pellucida Mantle red, orange or white with white to pinkish tentacles, white valves of unequal size sculpted with small uneven radiating ribs. |
Atlantic Pygmy Octopus Octopus joubini Small, reddish to orangish brown with pale banding across the arms, skin texture smooth. | Cancellate Fleshy Limpet Lucapina suffuse Slightly depressed oblong shell with many alternating large and small ribs and a finely toothed margin, dark edged keyhole slightly off center, fleshy cream to orange mantle. | Key Hole Limpet Diodora aspera The conical shell resembles a pyramid. Moves freely over rock or shell as it grazes on algae. |
West Indian Star Snail Lithopoma tectum High conical shell with 7 to 8 whorls, irregular axial ribs form knobs on the shoulders, often encrusted with coralline algae. | Chocolate Lined Top Snail Calliostoma javanicum Numerous thin tan, slightly raised and occasionally beaded ribs separated by well-defined chocolate brown lines, occasional reddish orange highlights. | Florida Cone Conus flordanus Yellowish brown shell with white and brown blotches, occasionally encircled with several lines composed of dashes and wide pale bands. |
Lace Murex Chicoreus dilectus Shell with 3 prominent rows of leaf like projections. | Lightning Whelk Busycon sinstrum Low conical spiral with nodules on the shoulder of each whorl, long oval aperture with slightly twisted canal. | True Tulip Fasciolaria tulipa Spindle shaped shell gray, green or brown with thin dark spiral stripes and longitudinal lines often with black or tan blotches. Body red brown or black with white speckles. |
Cerith Snail Cerithium sp As well as having a gorgeous, elongated spiral shell, this active scavenger can consume large amounts of detritus, uneaten food, fish waste, and algae. | Astrea Snail Astraea tecta Pyramid-shape shell with tan to olive green coloration. Some individuals have projections on the shell that give it a star-like outline | Horse Conch Triplofusus papillosus It has ten whorls, and its shoulders bear large, low nodules. The operculum is a leathery brown color, the aperture is orange, and the animal itself is brick red in color. |
ANEMONES | ||
Light Bulb Anemone Undetermined Distinctive translucent bulb-shaped tentacles tipped with thin elongated curling tips, bands and shades or green tan and white. | Branching Anemone Lubrunia danae Stubby branching pseudotentacles with prominent nematocyst-bearing knobs, shades of brown to gray to blue-green with lighter markings. | Corkscrew Anemone Bartholomea annulat Numerous long thin translucent gray or greenish tentacles with whitish corkscrew like markings. |
CORALS | ||
Oculina robusta | Tube Coral Cladocora arbuscla Colonies form small densely branching clumps. Branches have fine ridges running their length, and each ends with a singular corallite. Tan to golden brown and dark brown. | Hidden Cup Coral Phyllangia Americana Colonies form small encrusting groups of polyps. Six protruding primary and six somewhat smaller secondary septa around the rims. Brown color ranging from yellow-brown to brown to red-brown. |
Rose Coral Manicina areolata Brown to yellow-brown to gray and green. Ridges and valleys often contrasting shades or different colors. | Branching Fire Coral Millepora alcicornis | |
SPONGES | ||
Red Boring Sponge Cliona delitrix Bright Red to Reddish Brown encrusts and bores into coral heads and rocks. | Viscous Sponge Plakortis angulospiculatus Brown yo Tan to Black encrusting sponge, appearance often resembles a flow of viscous material. Surface smooth with occasionally a single small hole. The consistency is tough, rubbery, very slightly compressible. | Orange Icing Sponge Mycale laevis Porous bright orange encrusting sponge. |
Unnamed Sponge Verongula rigida This sponge ranges in color for Yellow to Green to Brown and Tan. It has large lobes with numerous pits and ridges over the surface. | Star Encrusting Sponge Halisarca caerulea Thin encrusting red, blue lavender or gray sponge with star shaped canals radiating from exocurrent openings. | Vase Sponge Ircinia campana Tan colored cup-shaped sponges, although asymmetrical specimens with a lower and a higher cup-wall are common. |
CRABS | ||
Coral Clinging Crab Mithrax hispidus Tan to red carapace and walking legs often covered with sponge and algae, first section of stout claw arms heavily spined, tubercles around eyes. | Green Clinging Crab (Emerald Crab) Mithraculus sculptusOlive green carapace and appendages back covered with smooth round nodules, walking legs heavily bristled. | Red-Ridged Clinging Crab (Red Mythrax Crab) Mithraculus forcepsShiny oval carapace with three forward angling groves orange, brown, red to olive bristled walking legs, stout claw arms. |
Porcelain Crab Petrolisthes caribensis Pale blue ridgid carpace, claw arms and upper legs with red-brown markings forming wavy tranverse linines, lower legs banded. | Gorilla Crab or Teddy Bear Crab | |
Decorator Neck Crab Podochela sp Because of extensive covering of organisms it is difficult to identify species. | Spongy Decorator Crab Macrocoeloma trispinosum Triangular tan to red or brown carapace with indentation on each side behind the eye, two indentations on rear carapace body typically covered with decoration. | Reticulated Hermit Iridopagurus reticulatus Small translucent tan with bristles on equal size claw arms with brown reticulated pattern, pale eyestalks with brown band near the base and another just below the cream colored eyes. |
SHRIMP | ||
Green Pistol Shrimp | Blue Leg Pistol Shrimp | Mantis Shrimp |
STARFISH | ||
Bandedarm Brittle Star Ophioderma appressa Green to gray with light and dark banded arms. | Serpent Starfish | Basket Star Astrophyton muricatum Large numerous thin arms extend out at night to form a plankton net. Colors range from Tan, to orange to brown. |
WORMS | ||
Social Feather Duster Bispira brunnea Grow in clusters, crowns extend from exposed parchment like tubes, circular crows white, tan, brown or purple often two toned with dark centers. | Christmas Tree Worm Spirobranchus giganteus Two spiraling crowns or radioles; double horned operculum extends from between the radioles, calcareous tube with large spike like protrusion. Highly variable colors and markings. | |
SEA CUCUMBERS | ||
Hidden Sea Cucumber Pseudotyone belli Mouth surrounded by 8 long highly branched tentacles and a single short pair. White with brown or maroon. | Tiger Tail Cucumber | |
PLANTS | ||
Watercress Alga Halimeda opuntia Thick profusly branched clumps of rounded three lobed or ribbed leaf like segments. Dark to bright green and yellowish green. | Calulerpa Oval-Blade Alga Calulerpa prolifera Small flat elongated blades with short cylindrical stalks. Grow upward from long cylindrical runners. Shades of green. | |
FISH | ||
*** Still a work in progress, if you have photos or an unknown hitchhiker from our rock please send it to [email protected] I will try to identify it and add you photo below