The document describes several marine invertebrate species, including the giant Japanese spider crab, bat sea star, giant African millipede, California sea cucumber, giant Pacific octopus, coral banded shrimp, cuttlefish, European medicinal leech, brown rock urchin, giant green anemone, oyster, and tube sponges. For each species, it provides the scientific name and some key details about physical characteristics, behaviors, life cycles, predators, and other biological or ecological information.
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Invertebrate examples
1.
2. Giant Japanese Spider Crab
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.
3. Bat Sea Star
Scientific Name: Asterina
miniata
This 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.
4. 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 .
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Coral Banded Shrimp
Scientific Name: Stenopus
hispidus
This 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.
8. Cuttlefish
Scientific Name: Sepia
officinalis
A 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.
9. 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
10. Umbrella Jellyfish
Scientific 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.
11. 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
12. Brown Rock Urchin
Scientific Name: Arbacia
punctulata
When 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.
13. Giant Green Anemone
Scientific Name: Anthopleura
xanthogrammica
This 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.
14. Oyster
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.
15. 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.