plant/animal reference) to get a bigger pictureProfiling | Ledgewood Beach Team Photo 2010 | Species consultation |
Gobiesox | Pisaster ochraceus | Amphipholis sp. |
Six Beach Watchers and one neighborhood resident showed up to check out the beach at Ledgewood on the nifty singular date that can be written out as 8/9/10. Three species of seastars were found (mottled, sunflower, and purple) and one species of brittle star (Amphiphois sp.). This was the first time several of the team members had seen a live brittle star so they were quite thrilled by that discovery. A close look at the mottled seastar (Evasterias troschelli) revealed that it packed along a commensal scaleworm. The team also encountered hundreds of tiny Lacuna snails. While Lacuna snails are generally less than a cm. tall, a vast majority of those found at Ledgewood were so small as to be barely discernable as snails. Each of the six quadrats at the +1 foot and 0 tide levels had almost 100% coverage by Ulva sp. To top off the morning, two great blue herons flew past the profile area and loon call was heard.