Central to Northern Coast

and Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) 

British Columbia

Site Description:

Our central to northern Coast region covers mainland BC and the nearshore islands from the Queen Charlotte Strait to the northern border of BC.  Much of this very large region is largely inaccessible except by boat.  Surveys have been done at many sites, but each provides only a small sample of the mollusks for the area, depending on what the survey was targeting.  
The distribution of species seems to be fairly uniform through this area so we group them all together to give a more accurate picture of  the northern half of BC.  
Haida Gwaii, formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands, lies off the west coast of British Columbia between Vancouver Island and Southeast Alaska.  
Our data encompasses both intertidal and subtidal habitat and all substrates through this region and most of the data was acquired from the collections at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, BC.


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Species List:

     Following is a list of mollusk species observed at this location by members and associates of the club.  This is by no means a complete list of the species which may occur at this site.  Revisions and additions to the data are made as we acquire new information.   When a site contains more than one very distinctive type of habitat or if multiple sites were included in a single location, then a species list for each is included.
    We indicate frequency of occurrence based on our observations.  This is an indicator of how likely it is that you may be able to find this species yourself and is not a formal population survey.  

     Frequency Code:  (Based on the assumption that you are looking in the appropriate location where the species
                                          likes to live - on rocks, in sand, etc.  Some populations fluctuate seasonally.  Ours are based
                                          on the spring/summer seasons.)
     [4] - Rare - very difficult to find, maybe only a couple found after repeated visits to the site
     [3] - Uncommon - difficult to find, may not see on every trip but dedicated searching may turn up a few
     [2] - Common - easy to find, should locate a number of them on any given day
     [1] - Abundant - very easy to find, large numbers should be seen on every trip

Data is a mix of intertidal and subtidal.
Due to the nature of the data, this list will not be rated for frequency of occurrence.  


   Haida Gwaii     

     Bivalves
Adula californiensis
Bankia setacea
Chlamys hastata
Crassadoma gigantea
Hiatella arctica
Macoma balthica
Miodontiscus prolongatus
Musculus taylori
Mytilimeria nuttallii
Mytilus californianus
Mytilus complex
Netastoma japonicum
Panomya norvegica
Parvilucina tenuisculpta

Penitella penita
Penitella turnerae
Pododesmus macrochisma
Rhamphidonta retifera
Saccella penderi
Siliqua patula
Simomactra falcata
Tellina nuculoides
Tresus allomyax
Vilasina vernicosa

Zirfaea pilsbryi
 


 




























 
     
















     Gastropods

Acmaea mitra
Akoya platinum
Alia carinata
Amphissa columbiana
Barleeia acuta
Calliostoma canaliculatum
Calliostoma ligatum
Ceratostoma foliatum
Cerithiopsis sp.
Cerithiopsis sp. 2
Crepipatella lingulata
Diodora aspera
Gigahomalopoma luridum
Haliotis rufescens
Lacuna variegata
Lacuna vincta
Lirabuccinum dirum
Lirularia succincta
Littorina scutulata
Littorina sitkana
Lottia digitalis
Lottia fenestrata
Lottia paradigitalis
Lottia pelta
Lottia persona
Lottia scutum
Margarites helicinus
Margarites pupillus
Marsenina rhombica
Marsenina stearnsi
Minolia peramabilis
Nucella canaliculata
Nucella lamellosa
Nucella ostrina
Paciocinebrina lurida
Paciocinebrina sclera
Odostomia sp.
Ophiodermella inermis
Siphonaria thersites
Tegula pulligo
Velutina velutina







     














     Nudibranchs/Sea slugs

Acanthodoris nanaimoensis
Antiopella fusca
Cadlina modesta
Diaulula odonoghuei
Dirona albolineata
Doris montereyensis
Dorid sp.
Geitodoris heathi
Onchidella carpenteri
Rostanga pulchra









     











     Chitons

Cryptochiton stelleri
Cyanoplax dentiens
Katharina tunicata
Lepidozona mertensii
Lepidozona radians
Mopalia ferreirai
Mopalia kennerleyi
Mopalia lignosa
Mopalia spectabilis
Schizoplax brandtii
Tonicella insignis
Tonicella lineata







































Central to Northern Coast

     Bivalves
Acila castrensis
Axinopsida serricata
Bankia setacea
Callithaca tenerrima
Cardiomya pectinata
Chlamys rubida
Ciliatocardium ciliatum
Clinocardium nuttallii
Coanicardita ventricosa
Compsomyax subdiaphana
Conchocele bisecta
Crassadoma gigantea
Cyclocardia crassidens
Cyclopecten davidsoni
Dermatomya tenuiconcha
Diplodonta impolita
Ennucula tenuis
Entodesma navicula
Gari californica
Glycymeris septentrionalis
Hiatella arctica
Humilaria kennerleyi
Keenaea centifilosa
Keenocardium blandum
Keenocardium californiense
Kellia suborbicularis
Leukoma staminea
Lucinoma annulata
Macoma balthica
Macoma brota
Macoma calcarea
Macoma elimata
Macoma inquinata
Macoma nasuta
Mactromeris polynyma
Magallana gigas
Megayoldia martyria
Megayoldia thraciaeformis
Mendicula ferruginosa
Modiolus modiolus
Modiolus rectus
Musculus discors
Musculus taylori
Mya arenaria
Mya truncata
Mytilimeria nuttallii
Mytilus californianus
Mytilus complex
Mytilus trossulus
Nuculana hamata
Nutricola lordi
Ostrea lurida
Pandora filosa
Pandora wardiana
Panopea generosa
Parvamussium alaskense
Parvilucina tenuisculpta
Pododesmus macrochisma

Saxidomus gigantea
Simomactra falcata
Solamen columbianum
Tellina carpenteri
Tellina nuculoides
Thracia challisiana
Thracia myopsis
Thyasira flexuosa
Tresus capax
Tresus nuttallii
Venerupis philippinarum
Xylophaga washingtona
Yoldia hyperborea
Yoldia seminuda


     Gastropods
Acmaea mitra
Akoya platinum
Alvania compacta
Amphissa columbiana
Antiplanes sp.
Boreotrophon multicostatus
Buccinum scalariforme
Callianax baetica
Calliostoma annulatum
Calliostoma canaliculatum
Calliostoma ligatum
Calliostoma variegatum
Ceratostoma foliatum

Cidarina cidaris
Crepidula adunca
Crepidula nummaria
Crepidula perforans
Crepipatella lingulata
Cryptonatica affinis
Cryptonatica aleutica
Diodora aspera
Epitonium indianorum
Eulithidium pulloides
Euspira pallida
Exilioidea rectirostris
Fissurellidea bimaculata
Fusitriton oregonensis
Gigahomalopoma luridum
Granulina margaritula
Lacuna vincta
Lepeta concentrica
Lirabuccinum dirum
Lirobittium attenuatum
Lirularia succincta
Littorina scutulata
Littorina sitkana
Lottia digitalis
Lottia scutum
Margarites pupillus
Marsenina stearnsi
Minolia peramabilis
Neostylidium eschrichtii
Neptunea lyrata
Neptunea smirnia
Neptunea stilesi
Neptunea tabulata
Neverita lewisii
Nucella canaliculata
Nucella lamellosa
Nucella ostrina
Paciocinebrina interfossa
Puncturella cucullata
Onoba carpenteri
Opalia wroblewskyi
Pomaulax gibberosa
Scabrotrophon maltzani
Scabrotrophon stuarti
Siphonaria thersites
Tegula pulligo
Trichotropis cancellatus
Velutina velutina
Vitreolina columbiana

     Nudibranchs/Sea slugs
Acanthodoris brunnea
Acanthodoris hudsoni
Acanthodoris nanaimoensis
Acteocina culcitella
Acteocina sp.
Aegires albopunctatus
Aeolidia loui
Aglaja ocelligera
Armina californica
Cadlina luteomarginata
Coryphella trilineata
Coryphella trophina
Cylichna attonsa
Dendronotus albus
Dendronotus dalli
Dendronotus venustus
Diaulula odonoghuei
Dirona albolineata
Doris montereyensis
Gastropteron pacificum
Geitodoris heathi
Haminoea vesicula
Hermissenda crassicornis
Limacia cockerelli
Onchidella carpenteri
Onchidoris bilamellata
Onchidoris muricata
Rostanga pulchra
Triopha catalinae
Tritonia exsulans
Tritonia festiva

     Chitons
Chaetopleura gemma
Cryptochiton stelleri
Cyanoplax dentiens
Dendrochiton flectens
Hanleyella oldroydi
Katharina tunicata
Lepidozona interstincta
Lepidozona mertensii
Lepidozona retiporosa
Leptochiton rugatus
Mopalia cirrata
Mopalia ferreirai
Mopalia hindsii
Mopalia kennerleyi
Mopalia lignosa
Mopalia muscosa
Mopalia sinuata
Mopalia spectabilis
Mopalia swanii
Mopalia vespertina
Placiphorella pacifica
Placiphorella rufa
Placiphorella velata
Schizoplax brandtii
Tonicella insignis
Tonicella lineata
Tonicella cf. undocaerulea

     Cephalopods
Berryteuthis anonychus
Berryteuthis magister
Doryteuthis opalescens
Dosidicus gigas
Enteroctopus dofleini
Galiteuthis phyllura
Octopus rubescens
Onychoteuthis borealijaponica
Rossia pacifica

     Scaphopods
Cadulus tolmei

Rhabdus rectius











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This page last revised: 7-2-2024