Samantha Gonzalez MARB 101 Invertebrate Ecology and Identification Bivalves The dark false mussel, Mytilopsis leucophaeata, displays a dark brown cover. They may also display zebra-stipes as juveniles. The dark false mussel can be found anywhere from Mexico to Massachusetts. They can be found attached to larger objects like rocks or logs. They can sustain a large range of salinities. Dark false mussels have an ecological impact by “cleaning” the water by feeding from microscopic organisms. The dark false mussels are a bivalve; therefore, it is a filter feeder. Cnidarians The orange striped green anemone, Diadumene lineata, can have multiple colors, from green/brown with vertical green, yellow, white, or orange stripes. This species of anemone is small, ranging less than 3 cm. The anemone uses its tentacles to capture its prey, plankton, and places the food towards the mouth region. The orange striped green anemone, reproduces asexually by splitting itself in half. This process is called longitudinal fission. Kamptozoans The Kamptozoans or Entoprocts, Bartensia sp., small cupped like species. They have tentacles around the rim of the “cup” and attached is a stalk. These organisms are a colonial specie and can be identified as a brownish mass found on surface of hard material. This species gathers its prey by capturing small grazers with its tentacles. Barnacles The Amphibalanus amphitrite, is an acorn shaped barnacle. These barnacles are suspension feeder, feeding on phytoplankton. The barnacle is hard to determine the native habitat due to the attachment to hard surfaces and inability to move. However, they can be found in the West Pacific and Indian Ocean. The can be found attached to any hard surface like rocks, logs, or ships. Gastropods Gastropods are also known as snails and slugs. The Nudibranch is a type of gastropod. This type of gastropod are soft bodied like slugs, and have two long oral tentacles located on its dorsal side. The nudibranch is found in reefs and the Galveston Bay. Their feeding habits include feeding on small organisms that grow on hard surfaces. Resources: Bishop Museum and University of Hawaii, Introduced Marine Species of Hawaii, http://www2.bishopmuseum.org/HBS/invertguide/species/diadumene_lineata.htm Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Entoprocta hairy back worms, https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Entoprocta/pictures/collections/contributors/Grzimek_in verts/Entoprocta/Barentsia_discreta/ Nemesis, Amphibalanus Amphitrite, Striped Barnacle, https://invasions.si.edu/nemesis/species_summary/89616 A Field Guide to: Galveston Bay Oyster Reefs, Jurgens Lab, Texas A&M University, Galveston
