Invertebrate Examples

Scientific Name: Macrocheira kaempferi

The giant Japanese spider crab is the biggest known species of crab and can live up to 100 years.  The Japanese name for this species is taka-ashi-gani literally translats“tall legs crab.”  Their armored exoskeletons help protect them from larger predators and also is used as camouflage by blending in with the rocky ocean floor.

These spider crabs are considered a prized delicacy in parts of Japan.  Harvesting of the crab is outlawed during the spring, when they reproduce, in order to keep the species surviving. 

Giant Japanese Spider Crab

Bat Sea Star Scientific Name: Asterina

miniataThis species is very common

throughout its range and can vary greatly in color.  They typically have five arms, but specimens with four to nine arms are occasionally found as well. Sea stars eat by expelling their stomach and wrapping it around their food. Enzymes from the stomach tissue dissolve the food so it can be absorbed. Once finished, the stomach is taken back into the body.

Giant African Millepede

Scientific Name: Euathlus smithi

As a baby, African millipedes are born with three pairs of legs and as they grow into adults, they add body segments and legs with molting of an exoskeleton.

Giant African millipedes, rather than biting, curl into a ball and excrete a defense liquid as protection .

California Sea Cucumber

Scientific Name: Parastichopus californicus

This species is the largest type of sea cucumber along the Pacific Northwest coast.  This specie of sea cucumber absorbs nutrients by sifting through sediment on the ocean floor.  Its main predator is the large sun sea star, but they are also eaten by sea otters as well as humans. 

Sea cucumbers are a delicacy in several Asian countries and are the focus of a growing commercial fishery. 

Giant Pacific Octopus Scientific Name:

Enteroctopus doflenini The giant Pacific

octopus is the largest known octopus species. As with many other octopi, this species has the ability to change its color, which help the octopus camouflage, but also communicate warnings to other octopi.

Octopi are intelligent and highly adaptable animals.

Coral Banded Shrimp Scientific Name: Stenopus

hispidusThis specie of shrimp is a

member of the “boxing shrimp” family, Stenopodidae. The name is given by the stance they hold with their pinchers erect similar to a boxer. Young coral banded shrimp pair up and grow together to adulthood and usually are found in the same territory (usually not moving more than 1 ½ ft.) for up to years.

CuttlefishScientific Name: Sepia

officinalisA cuttlefish are known for

their ability to quickly change their skin This is used for mating communication during mating rituals and also to hide from predators. If their first attempt at hiding fails, they can speed away resulting in a cloud of bad tasting black ink. 

The Pharaoh cuttlefish is a major aspect of Asian commercial fishing industry for which they are fished for their meat.

Mexican Red-Knee Tarantula

Scientific Name: Euathlus smithi

As a invertebrate, tarantula do not have any internal skeleton or bones causing them to be delicate. To make up for this they have an exoskeleton that is shed regularly. Instead they have an exoskeleton that must be shed (molted) on a regular basis. While molting occurs, the old skeleton is split while the tarantula lays on its back pulling off its body leaving itself in vulnerability

Umbrella JellyfishScientific Name: Eutonina indicans 

This jellyfish gets it’s name from it’s appearance of an umbrella and is transparent, almost invisible.  The most noticeable parts of the umbrella jelly’s body are its four radial canals.  The mouth has four frilly lips and extends below the bell margin on a conical peduncle.  When food is eaten by the jellyfish, the mouth swings over to “lick” the food off its tentacles.

The European Medicinal Leech

Scientific Name: Hirudo medicinalis Completely mature adults can grow up to 20 cm in length in the

shades of green, brown, or mix of both color with a darker shade on the dorsal side and lighter shade on the ventral side. Also, the dorsal side has a thin red stripe.

The leech has two suckers on each end of its body, one called the anterior and the other the posterior end.

They were used to remove blood from patients as part of a process to "balance" the “humors" that kept the body functioning.

Presently, they used to reduce blood coagulation, to relieve venous insufficiency, and in reconstructive surgery

Brown Rock Urchin Scientific Name: Arbacia

punctulataWhen not hiding, they

shy away under shells or are cover themselves unto the sands or rocks.  

The name of sea urchin comes from the Old English name for a spiny hedgehog.

An urchin’s mouth is underneath due to constant grazing while moving. The anus is on top of the urchin between the spines. In addition, waste can be excreted as a form of defense.

Giant Green Anemone Scientific Name: Anthopleura

xanthogrammicaThis species is usually a solitary,

large anemone.  Its coloration comes from green pigments in its skin as well as symbiotic algae that live in the lining of its gut. When exposed to sunlight this anemone “farms” some of its nutrition from the material created by this algae.

Once prey comes in contact with the tentacles of the anemone, it is paralyzed and taken hold. Of into its mouth and excreted through the same opening.

Scientific Name: Crassostrea virginica 

Oysters cause the forming of reefs, which play a huge role in the environment by maintaining the aquatic balance. They provide valuable shelter and habitat for many other estuarine organisms, improve water quality by filter feeding, and reduce bank erosion through stabilization. Oysters are flexible when it comes to weather conditions, water salinity, concentration of sediments in water. Different flavors of oysters result from different environments.

The production of a pearl results from an object getting caught in the shell, in which it produces nacre that coats the object from irritation These oysters are a good source of zinc, vitamin B-12, and omega 3 fatty acids.

Oyster

Tube Sponges

Scientific Name: Callyspongia vaginalis

This specie of sponge is one of the most common. It is classified by its long tube-shaped growths, and ranges in color from purple to green, though this particular one is one of the few that’s blue in color.