Meeting by the Pilgrim
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Sunny warm February day with low surf and good -0.55 ft. low tide
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Heermann's gulls (Larus heermanni) were the most common gull on the beach closest to the harbor. - see here
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We first studied the point at Dana Point (estimated location of this view from Google Earth: 33° 27.646' N, 117° 42.932' W).
Go here to download Google Earth or paste "33 27.646 -117 42.932" into search field at maps.google.com.
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Littorines (Littorina keenae and L. scutulata) and barnacles (Balanus glandula and Chthamalus spp.) are indicator species of the splash and high zones, respectively, but also occur together in the high zone.
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Black limpet (Lottia asmi) is normally on turban snails, such as this nearby western banded turban snail (Agathistoma eiseni, formerly Tegula eiseni), perhaps the most common turban snail species at Dana Pt., but this limpet was found on this rock.
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Lottia asmi
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Lottia asmi
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Stenoplax conspicua (conspicuous chiton) juvenile; this genus can be recognized by its unusually elongate tail valve (on right). It lives under rocks submerged in sand and crawls faster than other local chitons.
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A small cone-like snail (unidentified) on the surf grass, Phyllospadix torreyi
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Another gastropod that is a specialist grazer on surfgrass is the surfgrass limpet, "Lottia" paleacea, shown here near a southern shield limpet, Lottia "pelta". The quotation marks around "Lottia" are used because this species is awaiting a new genus designation (see 2000 Ph.D. dissertation by Brian Simison, Univ. of California, Berkeley) and around "pelta" because this species is likely distinct from the more northern Lottia pelta (see Western Society of Naturalists abstract by Chrystal Johnson, Brent Ferguson, and D. Eernisse, 2009; new publication in PLOS One by Kelly and Palumbi, 2010). see here
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Surfgrass limpet, "Lottia" paleacea, above southern shield limpet (Lottia "pelta") and California mussel (Mytilus californianus)
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Kelp ecomorph of southern shield limpet, Lottia "pelta", grazing on the stipe of Eisenia arborea, southern sea palm. Note the partly obscured radial riblets on the shell margin; these distinguish this species from the similar appearing Lottia insessa, which is apparently exclusively on feather boa kelp (Egregia menziesii).
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Turban snail whose shell is overgrown with red algae.
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Typical rough mid-intertidal patch (as opposed to smoother areas farmed by the owl limpet, Lottia gigantea), has numerous chitons (southern spiny chiton, Nuttallina fluxa) and limpets (mostly Lottia conus here).
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Serpulorbis squamigera under a ledge, as viewed in the reflection of a mirror. This tube snail was also extremely common in aggregations in some mid- to low-intertidal vertical surfaces out in the open. It is a suspension feed that feeds with strings of mucus.
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A compound tunicate (unidentified)
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Pisaster ochraceus
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Eisenia arborea (southern sea palm) is only exposed by the lowest low tides. It is more common in shallow subtidal depths.
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Abundant surfgrass (Phyllospadix torreyi) and feather boa kelp (Egregia menziesii)
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This invasive red alga, Caulacanthus ustulatus, forms a turf that can cover broad areas in the intertidal.
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SWavy top turban (Lithapoma undosa or Megastraea undosa; formerly Astraea undosum)
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Lottia gigantea (owl limpet) on its territory
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Drift Macrocystis
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Mopalia muscosa (mossy chiton)
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Nuttallina fluxa (southern spiny chiton)
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Pisaster ochraceus
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Anthopleura sola (sunburst anemone)
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Cyanoplax hartwegii (Hartweg's chiton) in foreground and Nuttallina fluxa (southern spiny chiton) in background
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Ventral side of Cyanoplax hartwegii
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Nuttallina fluxa
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Lottia gigantea
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Lottia gigantea covered with red algae
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Lottia gigantea territories
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Dead brown pelican
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porcelain crab (cf. Petrolisthes cinctipes) is a suspension feeder
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Norrisia norrisi (Norris's top snail)
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Fissurella volcano (volcano keyhole limpet)
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Lottia "pelta" (southern shield limpet) under rockweed, Silvetia compressa
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Seaweed limpet, Lottia insessa (tentative), feeding on the feather boa kelp (Egregia menziesii)
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Anthopleura sola
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A. sola
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A. sola feeding on a bone
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A. sola
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A. sola
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Phragmatopoma californica (honeycomb or sand castle tubeworm)
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Deadman's fingers (Codium fragile) is a green alga that is fairly rare in southern California.
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Great egret hunting in the intertidal
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Under Construction!