sea creature safari - long beach marine institute

Teacher IntoductionSea Creature Safari

Field Study Parameters

ObjectiveThe purpose of the Sea Creature Safari field study program is to introduce participants tothe methods and devices of biological oceanographers and to instill in them an apprecia-tion for marine fauna in the near-coastal waters of Southern California.

Academic ThrustThis field study program incorporates academic material from the subjects of marine ecol-ogy, marine zoology, and taxonomy. The level at which this material is covered is depend-ent on the age and preparation of the participants. High school and college students areexpected to be well prepared with a comprehensive introduction to these subjects.Elementary and middle school students are expected to have thoroughly examined thepreparation material included in this packet.

ActivitiesThe Sea Creature Safari includes marine organism collection and analysis. The field studyincludes a brief lecture and multimedia presentation by a marine naturalist. The natural-ist and excursion vessel crew then expedite the collection. Collection I consists of a bot-tom sediment sample taken with a Peterson Grab Sampler for the purposes of separatingbenthic infauna from the sediments. Separation occurs by use of two eight-foot containerswith built-in strainers and is conducted by the participants. Collection II consists of asample collected by an otter trawl net. The net is deployed and drawn along the sea floorfor approximately one nautical mile. Once the net is recovered, the bottom specimens aresorted by the naturalists and presented to the participants for analysis.

Field Trip Itinerary and OrganizationThe field study program is organized in the following manner:

0:00 Safety and orientation (conducted by vessel captain)0:15 Board excursion vessel, seated in conference room0:25 Lecture and Presentation (conducted by naturalist)0:45 Open Time (sail to collection station)1:15 Sediment Collection, deploy trawl net1:25 Examine benthic infauna

Sea Creature Safari

1:45 Examine trawl samples2:15 Debrief2:30 Disembark

The itinerary above is an approximation. Some portions may be extended or contractedaccording to the circumstances of the time. In the case of classes larger than 50, a grouprotation may take place, and the program may run long.

Field Study Subject Matter

Marine EcologyEcology is the study of the interrelationships of living things and their environment.

Ecology is a word popularized by the pioneers of the environmental movement in the late1960’s and early 70’s. Marine ecology is an attempt to understand how marine organismsrelate to one another and their habitat. Marine plants, animals and physical phenomenon,such as water chemistry and wave action, make up what is known as a marine ecosystem.You can think of an ecosystem like a mechanical device such as an automobile or a com-puter. Like a car or computer, an ecosystem has many interdependent parts. However, anecosystem is infinitely more complicated, and a marine ecosystem is even more difficult tounderstand because it is under water. Exploring the ocean, even the shallow parts, is a dif-ficult and expensive task.

One cannot discuss marine ecology without considering the marine habitat. Theocean, like the earth, is an immense biosphere made up of many different habitats. Thereare deep-water habitats over 40,000 feet deep. Pelagic, or “open water,” habitats existbetween the surface and the sea floor and contain plants and animals that never see thebottom of the ocean and, perhaps, never come to the surface. In near-coastal waters, thereare many types of coastal habitats. Habitat, the physical place where an animal and plantlives, can be a part of a larger community. For example, the coral reef community maycontain several habitats including a soft sandy seabed and the coral itself.

Coastal habitats and communities in Southern California are many and varied. Tidepools are found among the rocky intertidal. Mud flats are found in bays and estuaries.Sandy beaches rocky reefs and kelp forests all provide unique habitat for marine plantsand animals. Even boats and pier pilings are habitat for some creatures and algae. Wefind in all cases that the plants and animals that inhabit a particular community areintensely dependent on the physical characteristics of the habitat. Kelp plants cannotgrow without a secure place of attachment, usually provided by the large rocks of aCalifornia reef. Sea anemones and sea urchins require a shallow place of attachmentfound along our rocky shores. Cusk eels and stingrays need loose sand or mud arranged ina large flat habitat to take advantage of their unique abilities to burrow and hide.

Understanding how animals relate to their habitat in this way is the thrust of ecolo-gy. Our field study will focus on a particular habitat near shore in about 30 feet of water.The seabed near Belmont Shore in Long Beach is a mixture of fine grain sand and silt (ormud). In this soft substrate, as it is properly known, burrows a large variety of inverte-brates. An invertebrate is any animal not belonging to the phylum chordata, or animalswithout backbones (or notochord). Examples of these invertebrates are clamworms,innkeeper worms, brittle stars, clams, crabs and ghost shrimp. Their survival depends on

Sea Creature Safari Preparation Manual 2 Long Beach Marine Institute

a stable soft sea floor in which they can burrow a shelter and sift for food. These inverte-brates become prey animals for the fish and rays that swim and hide atop the silt andsand.

The fish that are typically found on a soft substrate are flatfishes and rays.Flatfishes are peculiar fish that are oriented on their side. On one side of the fish can befound both eyes and coloration that matches the sea floor. The other side of a flatfish isblind and contains no coloration (pigment). As the fish lies flat on the sea floor, the com-pressed body shape helps it hide while both eyes on the “up” side of the fish enable it tosee everything nearby.

The rays have what is known as a “depressed” body shape which means they aresomewhat flat from top to bottom (not side to side like the flatfishes). The eyes of the raysare situated on the dorsal (top) side of the animal. These characteristics among othershelp the ray hide from predators and hunt with stealth.

Whether the animal is a burrower or has cryptic coloration and body shape, you willsee on your sea creature safari how the animals collected in the sediment sample and inthe trawl net are related to their soft, flat sediment habitat. Understanding this relation-ship allows us a glimpse into the science of marine ecology.

Marine ZoologyZoology is the study of animals. In this field study, we will be exploring a bit of

marine zoology, or the study of marine animals. Everyone enjoys meeting new animals,but it is only meaningful if we have some understanding of these animals, their particularhabits and requirements for survival. Only in understanding marine organisms throughsuch sciences as marine zoology can we adequately protect them and their environment.In this section, species of animals that dominate the soft sediment substrate of the SanPedro Breakwater bay area will be discussed.

The organisms we will encounter may be categorized as benthic infauna and benthicepifauna. The infauna are animals found within the sediments. Generally, these are bur-rowing organisms that make their homes in hollowed crevices and tubes in the soft, stableprecipitate of the bay floor. We collect these animals by use of a Peterson grab samplerthat is lowered by use of our hydraulic crane and winch. Once the sampler makes contactwith the soft sediment, it automatically closes, capturing about one cubic foot of sedimentand any organism trapped there. The fine silt of the San Pedro Breakwater bay area is astable dense silt ideal for a variety of tube worms, clams, brittle stars, shrimp, sand fleasand burrowing sea stars.

Upon retrieval of the sediment sampler, the mud is carefully placed in a separator.The separator consists of a stainless mesh fixed to a sluice over which pumped seawaterruns. The investigators then wash away the sediment in order to expose, collect andexamine the infauna.

The epifauna are animals that are found attached or resting on the seabed, irrespec-tive of depth. These include benthic fish such as halibut, sole, turbots, sanddabs, lizard-fish, skates and rays. They also include mussels, scallops, shrimp, prawn, sea stars, snailsand a host of other notable invertebrates. The epifauna are collected by use of an ottertrawl net. The otter trawl net is hauled behind the research vessel over a pre-selected areaof the bay and directed downward toward the benthos. As it creeps along the seabed,whatever slow-moving or attached organisms in its path are enveloped between the otter


boards and concentrated in the cod-end of the net. After perhaps 20 to 30 minutes oftrawling, the crew retrieves the net and sorts the organisms for discussion and analysis.The epifauna is placed in display tubs that are plumbed with the seawater pump systeminstalled on the research vessel.

By use of these two methods, students are introduced to the processes of marinezoology. The depth with which the subject is handled is dependent on the level of prepara-tion and participation of the students and chaperones.

TaxonomyTaxonomy is the scientific classification of organisms. That is, taxonomy is the

method by which animals and plants are organized for the purposes of scientific investiga-tion. The plants and animals collected as part of the field study must be classified (or cata-logued) if the data is to have any lasting value. Fully understanding the marine environ-ment requires that we also understand the common characteristics of living things andorganize these characteristics via the system of taxonomy.

An organism’s scientific name is derived from its taxonomic organization. That is,the first name corresponds to its genus, the second its species. The genus is commonlycapitalized. The species is not. For example, the California Lizardfish is known to marinebiologists and naturalists as Synodus lucioceps, synodus being the genus and luciocepsbeing the species. Taxonomy includes the further classification of this organism as king-dom Animalia, phylum Chordata, class Osteichthyes, order Synodontiformes, and familySynodontidae.


Student IntroductionSea Creature Safari

Your objective as a student is to identify, classify and analyze members of themarine community explored with the use of the research vessel Conqueror. You will beassisted and guided by a staff marine naturalist attached to the Long Beach MarineInstitute and its research vessel. You will accomplish your objective with the use of vari-ous collection equipment, tools for analysis and material provided in this booklet. Youmay also be required to complete a follow-up project related to your day as an oceanogra-pher. The most important part of your experience aboard the research vessel is accom-plished long before you board the boat. You must be prepared. For this reason, LongBeach Marine Institute has provided you with this preparation manual. Be sure to studyall the material selected by your teacher and contained in this handout.

Your field trip will take place aboard the research and excursion vessel Conqueror.Conqueror is a 90-foot long wooden trawler adapted for scientific research and studentexcursions. It has a large classroom that accommodates up to 80 students and is equippedwith video monitors and a public address system. The collection deck located aft (at theback of the boat) is the place where collection apparatus is deployed and where animalsare displayed and analyzed. The upper deck is used primarily for lounging and for eatinglunch. You will be permitted in these areas and on the bow.

Preparation

Perhaps the most important thing you do in relation to this field trip is to prepareyourself. Oceanographic research is time consuming and expensive. Going into the fieldunprepared can be a substantial waste of time and money. The following outline shouldhelp you to prepare for the Sea Creature Safari program as conducted by Long BeachMarine Institute. Follow this outline as closely as possible and discuss the items with yourteacher to determine whether or not the preparation is necessary for your class’ purposes.

Read this bookletRead and study this text in its entirety. If you have questions, ask your teacher tohelp you. This booklet describes what you will be doing, what is expected of you asa participant and what types of plants, animals and habitats you will encounter.

Learn the vocabularyIn the back of this booklet is a list of vocabulary words. Memorize as many of themas you can. Try to use as many vocabulary words as you can by discussing the sub-ject matter with other students or in classroom exercises. If you come across aword in this handout with which you are not familiar and is not on the vocabularylist, look up the word in the dictionary and write its meaning somewhere on thesepages.

Do the worksheetsComplete the worksheets labeled “Preparation Worksheet” in this booklet and theself-evaluation quiz included in the “Are You Ready?” section. Do not complete the


worksheets labeled “Field Worksheet” until you are aboard the research vessel.

SpecializeThe field trip includes a look at many different marine animals. Choose 2-4 animalsfrom the list of common animals provided in this booklet. Half of your choice mustbe taken from the list of infauna and half must be taken from the list of epifauna.Make sure you and your classmates do not all choose the same animals. The ani-mals you choose will be your specialty. All marine biologists have a specialty.Learn as much as you can about the animals you choose by looking them up inencyclopedias, books at the library or on the Internet. Clip drawings and photos tohelp you readily identify them in the field. Learn how to distinguish them fromsimilar species.

Assemble your toolsMost of the very special collection tools will be provided on the research vessel.However, you should gather a few personal tools to enhance your project. Be sureto bring spare pencils, paper and a hard surface to write on such as a clipboard ornotebook. You may also choose to bring a ruler, magnifying glass, colored pencilsfor illustration or a camera and film. Get together with other classmates and sharetools if necessary. See the “What to Bring” section for more information.

Dress for successWear layered clothing. In other words, do not wear a heavy jacket over a tee shirtor tank top. Instead, wear a lightweight shirt or top and a sweatshirt with a lightwindbreaker or jacket over the sweatshirt. This will keep you warm but allow youto peal layers as necessary. Wear rubber-soled shoes like athletic shoes or deckshoes and bring a brimmed hat to keep off the sun (and occasional bird droppings!)


HabitatSea Creature Safari

The habitat explored as part of the Sea Creature Safari program as conducted byLong Beach Marine Institute is best described as a soft sediment seabed located in nearcoastal shallow water. Understanding the habitat is very important when conducting sci-entific surveys of plants and animals because of the intimate relationships of living thingsto their environment. It is difficult to learn much about an animal or plant when it is iso-lated from its habitat. A fish, for example, can be described as it swims in a laboratoryaquarium but its behavior will be colored by its surroundings. Only when it is observedamong other animals and plants in its ecosystem in and around its natural habitat can itbe fully understood. For this reason, we should first endeavor to describe the soft seabed

found in the San Pedro Breakwater area of Long Beach before diving into the subject of themarine life to be found there.

Habitat is defined as the place where an animal lives characterized by its physicalproperties. The ocean is comprised of many different habitats, and the SouthernCalifornia coastal region contains many of these including the rocky intertidal, sandybeaches, rocky reefs, kelp forests, estuaries and many others. The rocky intertidal is char-acterized by hard rocks and crevices, tide pools and the fact that it lies between high andlow tide. Sandy beaches are characterized by shifting sands, surf and rapid water percola-tion. Kelp forests contain macrocystis, or giant kelp, attached to a rocky substrate andlocated in water to a depth of just over 100 feet where swell, surge and sunlight play a vitalrole. Each of these habitats is a place where animals live characterized by their physicalproperties, like rocks or sand, and the ocean phenomenon, like waves and tides, that actupon them.

The soft seabed where you will find your biological collection is no exception. A siltprecipitate of terrestrial and biological origin characterizes it. It is a fine-grained mud thathas settled to the bay bottom after either being transported by rivers and streams from farinland or materializing from the decaying remains of marine life. If the sediment has orig-inated from sources inland, it is said to be “terrigenous.” If it has originated from theremains of biological organisms, it is said to be “biogenous.” Geologists and oceanogra-phers classify sediments based on their origins. Some sediments even come from spaceand are described as “cosmogenous.”


The soft seabed in the San Pedro Breakwater area in Long Beach can be found in 20to 60 feet of water. Your collection will take place in approximately 30 feet of water. Thisis considered shallow water since the ocean depths can extend to over 40,000 feet, deeperthan Mt. Everest is tall! The sea floor here is relatively flat and featureless and containslittle or no attached plant life or rocks. The bottom of the sea, whether it is shallow ordeep, is called the “benthos,” and the marine life there is referred to collectively as “benth-ic organisms.”

The benthos here presents a slight challenge to the benthic organisms because thereare few features among which animals may hide and fewer places of attachment. Whatdoes that mean for the animals to be collected? How do they survive without rocks andplants to hide behind? How do they resist current and surge without rocks to which theycan attach? As we discuss the benthic animals we expect to find, we will take note of theirphysical characteristics that enable them to survive in such a place.


Benthic InfaunaSea Creature Safari

Animals that burrow into the soft sediment seabed are called “infauna.” These ani-mals make their home in burrows in the soft, pliablemud. Here they have a chance at survival by goingundetected by or out of reach of predators. Some ani-mals have precise digging appendages and build elabo-rate tunnels, some take advantage of existing burrowsand share them with the builder. Still others createmucus sheathing or tubes in which they dwell, peeringout only to feed or to mate. Some are predators them-selves, using clever trapping devices or aggressively pur-suing their prey within the layers of silt.

To collect benthic infauna, one must extract asample of the sediment itself, thereby trapping the ani-mals that dwell there. On your voyage, you will utilize aPeterson grab sampler, a device designed to grab a cubicfoot of mud. The mud will be placed on galvanized steelmesh covering a sluice. Water will be pumped over themesh and you will have to rinse the mud away to exposethe infauna for identification and analysis. You willneed to transfer the exposed organisms into a glassflask, beaker or plastic capsule so that analysis may bemore convenient.

Discovering their mechanism for survival is our top priority. Whatever the animal’sname, their physical description and behavior are primary for our purposes so that youcan better understand the scientific method. It is, after all, our goal to better acquaint youwith marine ecology rather than ask you to memorize the names of countless local marineorganisms. If an animal can be identified, so much the better; but try to focus on its physi-

cal characteristics and its relationship to its habitat. Figure4:1 shows a few of those characteristics here and compare

some of the common benthic infauna normally encountered on ourvoyages.

By burrowing, the animals conceal themselves fromenemies, escape waves and surge and place themselves in

the midst of their food supply. The habitat requires, howev-er, some provision against suffocation.1 Burrows and tubes

must be flushed with fresh seawater in order for respiration tooccur, or the animal must have a siphon or external gills or, in the

case of some burrowing worms, respiratory tentacles to extendbeyond the burrow or tube for a source of dissolved oxygen.


1 Ricketts, Edward F. et al, Between Pacific Tides fifth ed., 1985 Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA

The Parchment Worm is atube dweller with a specialmucus bag used for filteringfood from sea water

Clams are bur -rowers thatextend siphonsfor filter-feedingand respiration

Razor Clamwith siphonsretracted

The inkeeper worm, who shares its burrow with other animals seeking shelter,uses a slime net at the entrance to its burrow to capture food.

A parchment worm at rest in its paper-like tube. Whenthreatened, this peculiar worm can break off its headand regenerate a new one.


Figure 4:1The mechanisms for survival of several common benthicinfauna encountered during the Sea Creature Safari.

Some tube dwellershave active tentaclesused for respirationand for capturing prey.

PlumedWorm

TerebellidWorm

Other tube dwellershave a rigid stopper forkeeping predators out.

The Pea Crab has theability to crawl inside abamboo worm’s tube forprotection.

BambooWormCrabs, shrimp and other crus -

taceans are able to use speciallydesigned legs for digging andfor collectiong mud.

Ghost Shrimp

Many burrowing wormsingest the sediment itselfand extract nourishment.

SipunculidWorm


Figure 4:1 (continued)The mechanisms for survival of several common benthicinfauna encountered during the Sea Creature Safari.

Benthic EpifaunaSea Creature Safari

Animals that rest on the sea floor or remain attached there without burrowinginto the sediments are called “benthic epifauna.” The epifauna have the singularproblem of alluding predators without burrowing or using rocks or plants asshelter. Instead they must rely in more extraordinary defensessuch as the ability to change color and pattern or thepossession of poisonous spines.

Collecting the benthic epifauna in shallowwater is accomplished by use of an otter trawl net.The otter trawl net is a commonly used device forcollecting marine organisms in mid-water or along aflat seabed. Shrimp fisherman employ such nets as donumerous oceanographic institutes worldwide. The otter trawl getsits name from the paddle-like “otter boards” which serve to spread the net wide as it isdragged through the water and may or may not resemble the broad paddle-like tail of theotter. The collection enters through the opening of the net between the two otter boardsand proceeds the length of the net to the “cod end,” or the small sack at the trailing end ofthe net. Once the net is deployed, the vessel hauls the net about one nautical mile at aslow pace, taking between 20 and 30 minutes to complete. The deck crew then retrievesthe net and displays the catch for our analysis.

Again, as we do with the infauna, we should focus on the animals’ peculiar mecha-nisms for survival. Some animals, like the halibut and sole, have compressed body shapesand camouflage skin. Others, like octopus and squid, have the ability to generate an inkcloud or change their color and pattern. Still others, like the torpedo ray, are able to gen-erate an electric charge.

Discovering the epifauna’s characteristic survival mechanism is the basis of under-standing their fundamental relationship with their habitat. Identification of the organismsis largely based on physical appearance and the presence of similar attributes, but survivalmechanisms and defensive weaponry may cross taxonomic boundaries, occurring indiverse species from different phyla. That is, just because two animals employ the samedefense mechanism does not mean they a categorized by scientists into the same group.However, we should consider some common techniques utilized by benthic epifauna foundin the soft sediment habitat in the shallow waters of Long Beach as shown in figure 5:1.

The epifauna are far more active than their counterparts within the sediments.Where infauna are generally sedentary (remaining in one place or moving slowly), the epi-

fauna move with food supplies, seasons and to avoid predation. Usuallywhen the animals that rest or move about the seabed are found still or

partially buried, they are quietly waiting for predators to move on or inwait of prey themselves. Some animals, such as the spiny sand star, move

beyond the boundary between epifauna and infauna, and move aboutfreely atop the sediments or within them. Generally, the epifauna dis-

cussed here feed on animals that burrow or remain sedentary within theblanket of mud.



Figure 5:1The mechanisms for survival of several common benthicepifauna encountered during the Sea Creature Safari.

Flatfish like theCalifornia Halibut arecompressed, flattenedfrom side to side andhave two eyes on oneside…

…Also, their coloringhelps them blend inwith the sandy ormuddy seabed.

Dark bars (verticalstripes) over a neutralcolor helps fish con -fuse or mislead preda -tors.

Depressed bodyshapes, flattened fromtop to bottom, and darkcoloring enables raysto hide along flatseabeds…

…Also, rays are equipped with “spiracles,”openings just behind the eyes for drawingwater into the gill chamber.

California Halibut

Barred Sandbass

Shovelnose Guitarfish

Thornback Ray


Bat Ray

Round Stingray

Torpedo Ray(Pacific Electric Ray)

Spottail Shrimp

Spider Crab

Calif. Spiny Lobster

Octopus

Figure 5:1 (continued)The mechanisms for survival of several common benthicepifauna encountered during the Sea Creature Safari.

Some rays, like the Bat Ray andRound Stingray, have a stingingspine at the base of their whip-like tail…

…Others, like the Torpedo Ray,can generate an electric shock!

The Spottail Shrimphas a prominent falseeye near the end of itstail, causing predatorsto wonder which wayit will go.

Spider crabs blend easilywith the source of their

food: drifting debrisfound along the bottom.Some can even attachdebris to their exoskeletonfor better camoflage.

The octopus can change its skincolor and texture to elude preda -tors.

Crustaceans, like the SpinyLobster, have tough outer

skeletons. The lobster also hasrows of sharp, formidable spines.

VocabularySea Creature Safari

anal fin the unpaired fin located on the ventral side of the body of a fish, pos-terior to the anus; It plays an important role in the swimming move-ments of sharks and bony fish.

barbel a fleshy protuberance near the mouth of some fish, especially suctori-al feeders (e.g., sturgeons and catfish); Basically a sensory structure,it is provided with tactile and chemical receptor cells, and is thereforeuseful in the location of food.

benthic attached or resting on the bottom sediments

benthos the organisms attached to or resting on the bottom sediments

biogenous being or relating to oceanic sediment derived directly from biogenicmaterial (produced by living organisms)

burrow n., a hole or excavation in the sediment made by an animal for shelterand habitation. v., to construct by tunneling

camouflage see cryptic coloration

caudal fin the tail fin of a fish, used for steering, balancing, or locomotion

compressed narrow from side to side and deep in a dorsoventral direction

cryptic coloration (crypsis) coloration that makes animals difficult to distinguishagainst their background, so tending to reduce predation; The effectof cryptic coloration may be to cause the appearance of the animal tomerge into its background(e.g., the absence of all color in somepelagic fish larvae) or to break up the body outline(e.g., the spottedpatterns of many bottom-dwelling flatfish). Both effects often occurin the same animal.

depressed dorsoventrally flattened

detritus litter formed from fragments of dead material (e.g., leaf-litter, dung,molted feathers and corpses)

dorsal fin the unpaired fin located on the back (dorsal surface) of both bonyfish and sharks; It may be single and soft-rayed, as in trout, or doublewith the anterior dorsal fin supported by fin spines, as in perch. Insome species (e.g. eels) the dorsal fin is confluent with the tail fin(caudal fin).


dorsal ray a collection of bony rods that extend and support the membrane inthe dorsal fin of a fish; The ray may be spiny and rigid or soft andflexible.

ecology the scientific study of the iterrelationshops among organisms andbetween organisms, and all aspects, living and nonliving, of theirenvironment

epifauna benthic organisms that live on the surface of the seabed, eitherattached to objects on the bottom or free-moving

exoskeleton the complex, layered horny skeleton that encloses the body of allArthropoda

grab sampler a device lowered to sea bottom for the purposes of taking a randomsample of sediment or rocks

habitat the living place of an organism or community, characterized by itsphysical or biotic properties

infauna benthic organisms that dig into the seabed or construct tubes or bur-rows

interrelationship a mutually dependent relationship

invertebrate of or relating to animals that lack a spinal column

lateral line a system of receptors, often embedded in special grooves in the skinof an animal, that is capable of detecting vibrations (and thereforemovements) in the water surrounding the animal; In most fish, thelateral line runs along the sides of the body, but usually it forms anumber of branches on the head. It is found in all lower aquatic ver-tebrates and some amphibians.

macula an anatomical structure having the form of a spot differentiated fromsurrounding tissues

mucus a secretion of mucous cells and glands located in epithelial struc-tures; It is largely a mixture of mucin (a mucoprotien secreted bymucous cells) and water.

otter trawl a large conical net dragged along the sea bottom in gathering fish orother marine life

pectoral fin in fish, one of the pair of fins that are situated one on each side of the


fish just behind the gills; Normally they are used for balancing andbraking, but in some species (e.g., flying fish) the extra-large fins areused for jumping and for gliding over the water surface.

pelvic fin one of the pair of fins positioned on the under-side (ventral) of thebody of a fish; Depending on the species, the pelvic fins can be foundin a mid-ventral (abdominal) position, underneath or just behind thepectoral fins (thoracic position), or in front of the pectorals in thethroat region (jugular position).

respiration the physico-chemical processes involved in the transportation of oxy-gen to and carbon dioxide from the tissues

sediment matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid; material deposited bywater, wind or glaciers

shell hard, rigid, largely calcareous covering of an animal (usually mol-lusks and some worms)

siphon in Bivalvia and Gastropoda, a tube that funnels water towards andaway from the gills; In bivalves (e.g., clams and oysters), siphonsoften occur in pairs.

sluice a channel to drain or carry off surplus water or sludge

spiracle a gill slit located between the mandibular and hyoid arches in adultsharks, rays, and some primitive bony fish, and visible as an openingbehind the eye

tentacles 1. in many invertebrate animals, a long, slender, flexible structure,often bearing sense receptors, used to obtain information about theimmediate environment and often to obtain food; 2. in corals and seaanemones, a movable, tubular extension of the body cavity; tentaclesare arranged in a ring around the mouth; 3. in Cephalopoda (e.g.,octopus and squid), a movable modification of the soft body; tenta-cles surround the mouth and are sometimes studded with suckerdiscs

terrigenous being or relating to oceanic sediment derived directly from thedestruction of rocks on the earth’s surface

vertebrate any of a comprehensive division (Vertebrata) usually held to be asubphylum of chordates comprising animals with a segmented spinalcolumn together with a few primitive forms in which the backbone isrepresented by a notochords


What to BringSea Creature Safari

The items on this list are not mandatory. However, to make the mostout of your time at sea, try to gather as many of these as possible.Sharing some thins, like a camera and roll of film, with others in asmall group is a good idea.

1. clipboard or rigid notebook to use as a writing surface

2. 2 or more pencils. Pens are not recommended because ink runswhen it gets wet.

3. 12-inch plastic or wood ruler for measuring fish and other seaanimals

4. hand lense (magnifying lense) for those hard to see creatures

5. camera and film (or disposable camera)

6. rag or small hand towel for cleaning your hands after sortingthrough the mud

7. blank lined paper for recording data

8. field worksheets included in this booklet

You will be provided with a collection voyage, collection equipment,microscope (if needed), containers and bins for displaying live speci-mens and an identification guide to help you recognize commonspecies.


Common Epifauna

bony fishCalifornia halibutCalifornia tonguefishspotted turbothornyheaded turbotdiamond turbotfantail solespeckled sanddabpacific sanddabwhite croakerqueenfishCalifornia corbinashiner surfperchspecklefin midshipmanplainfin midshipmanCalifornia lizardfishbay pipefishCalifornia scorpion fish

raysbatrayround stingraythornbacktorpedo rayshovelnose guitarfish

invertebratesCalifornia spiny lobsterredgeback prawnspottail shrimpspider crabspiny sandstarmoon snailnavanaxchanneled basket snailtwo spotted octopusred octopus

Common Infauna

wormsinkeeper wormblood wormparchment wormbamboo wormlug wormplume wormburrowing polychaetesipunculid

arthropodsghost shrimpsand fleapea crab

molusksrazor clamjacknife clamvenus clam

otherburrowing anemone


Choose one or two items from eachof the two lists below. Learn as much asyou can about your choices using naturebooks, encyclopedias, textbooks or theInternet. Clip pictures or drawings to helpyou readily identify them in the field. Trynot to choose the same animals as thosechosen by your friends. This is called “spe-cializing,” and it will help you learn moreas a class.

Finding Your SpecialtySea Creature Safari

On the next page, there is a work-sheet for you to complete related to yourchoice of specialization.

Preparation WorksheetSea Creature Safari


paste picture or drawing here

EpifaunaRecord the following information on the animals you chose from the list of common epifauna.

animal name:

min/max size:

color(s):

diet:

habitat:

interesting facts:


animal name:

min/max size:

color(s):

diet:

habitat:

interesting facts:

Preparation WorksheetSea Creature Safari



InfaunaRecord the following information on the animals you chose from the list of common infauna.

animal name:

min/max size:

color(s):

diet:

habitat:

interesting facts:


animal name:

min/max size:

color(s):

diet:

habitat:

interesting facts:


Are You Ready?Sea Creature Safari

Self-Evaluation QuizAnswer the following questions as best you can. It is O.K. to look up anwers in past pagesof this booklet or from other sources. When you are finished, check your answers with theanswer key at the bottom of the page. Good Luck!

1. True or False? Epifauna are animals that live near the surface of the sea. ___________

2. Choose the right answer: The _____ is the place where an animal lives characterized byphysical characteristics.A. environmentB. burrowC. habitatD. the ocean

3. Which of the following is not “infauna?”A. razor clamB. inkeeper wormC. spottail shrimpD. pea crab

4. A ___________ is used to collect epifauna on the Sea Creature Safari.A. Peterson Grab SamplerB. Plankton NetC. Fishing PoleD. Otter Trawl Net

5. What is “cryptic coloration?”A. camoflageB. code signals using skin colorC. illustrations of bottom fishD. stinging cells

6. Why does a clam have siphons?A. so that it can filter feedB. so that it can respirate (breathe)C. so it can keep its burrow cleanD. both A and B

7. A parchment worm can escape predators by...A. digging up to 6 feet deepB. stinging the predator’s tongueC. losing its headD. swimming very fast

8. True or False: Flatfish, like halibut, have four eyes-two on each side. ____________


Field WorksheetSea Creature Safari

Complete this form during your field trip.

Field Trip Date: Field Trip Time

Your Name

Weather Conditions

Organsim Size Note

Infauna

Epifauna

Organsim Size Note

sea creature safari - long beach marine institute

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