San Juan Islands

San Juan County, WA

Site Description:       

This location covers all of the Islands including the subtidal.  Except for habitat differences, the species listed seem to exist throughout the island group.  The subtidal data ranges from 3 to 80 fathoms in depth.  It includes locational sampling taken in and around nearly all of the major islands and channels.  The Islands form the northeastern border of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the southern border of the Strait of Georgia.
 


Google Map
 

   
                                                       Aerial View
                 


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


Due to the nature of the data, this list will not be rated for frequency of occurrence.  Frequency may vary widely throughout the islands.  The intertidal list is very incomplete.

Intertidal - I
Subtidal - S

     Bivalves
Acila castrensis  S
Astarte compacta  S
Chlamys hastata
 S                                                            
Chlamys rubida  S
Ciliatocardium ciliatum  S
Clinocardium nuttallii  I,S
Coanicardita ventricosa  S 
Compsomyax subdiaphana  S
Conchocele bisecta  S
Crassadoma gigantea  S
Gari californica  I
Glycymeris septentrionalis  S
Hiatella arctica  I
Humilaria kennerleyi  S
Keenocardium blandum  S
Kellia suborbicularis  S
Leukoma staminea  I,S
Lyonsia californica  S
Macoma brota  S
Macoma carlottensis  S
Macoma elimata  S
Macoma golikovi  S
Macoma inquinata  I
Macoma lipara  S
Macoma nasuta  I
Macoma secta  I
Magallana gigas  I
Megayoldia thraciaeformis  S
Modiolus modiolus  S
Musculus discors  S
Mytilimeria nuttallii  S
Mytilus complex  I
Mytilus californianus  I
Nuculana hamata  S
Nuculana minuta  S
Nutricola lordi  S
Pandora filosa  S
Pandora wardiana  S
Pododesmus macrochisma  I,S
Saccella penderi  S
Saxidomus gigantea  I
Tellina carpenteri  S
Tellina modesta  I

Tresus capax  I
Tridonta elliptica  S
Yoldia myalis  S
Yoldia seminuda  S
 

     Gastropods
Acmaea mitra  I,S
Alia carinata  S
Amphissa columbiana
 I,S  
Antiplanes cf. vinosa  S
Antiplanes cf. thalaea  S
Beringius eyerdami  S
Buccinum plectrum  S
Calliostoma annulatum   S
Calliostoma ligatum  I

Calliostoma variegatum  S
Calyptraea fastigiata  S
Ceratostoma foliatum  S
Crepidula sp.  S
Crepipatella lingulata  S
Cryptonatica affinis  S
Cryptonatica aleutica  S
Diodora aspera  I,S
Epitonium indianorum  S
Exilioidea rectirostris  S
Fusitriton oregonensis  S
Gigahomalopoma luridum  S
Granulina margaritula  S
Haliotis kamtschatkana  I,S
Lacuna vincta  I
Lepeta concentrica  S
Lirobittium attenuatum  S
Littorina scutulata  I
Littorina sitkana  I
Lottia digitalis  I
Lottia pelta  I
Lottia persona  I
Lottia scutum  I,S
Margarites pupillus  I,S
Neadmete modesta  S
Neptunea lyrata  S
Neptunea phoenicea  S
Neptunea smirnia  S
Nucella canaliculata  I
Nucella lamellosa  I,S
Nucella ostrina  I
Paciocinebrina sclera  S
Puncturella cucullata  S
Puncturella multistriata  S
Oenopota elegans  S
Oenopota excurvata  S
Oenopota fidicula  S
Oenopota levidensis  S
Oenopota pyramidalis  S
Oenopota tabulata  S
Oenopota turricula  S
Opalia wroblewskyi  S
Ophiodermella cancellata  S
Petaloconchus compactus  S
Puncturella galeata  S
Scabrotrophon maltzani  S
Scabrotrophon stuarti  S
Trichotropis cancellata  S
Trophonopsis orpheus  S
Turbonilla sp.  S

     Nudibranchs/Sea Slugs
Acanthodoris atrogriseata  S
Acanthodoris brunnea  S
Acanthodoris nanaimoensis  S
Acteocina cerealis  S

Aeolidia loui  S
Ceratadoris vancouverensis  S
Cadlina luteomarginata  S
Cerberilla mosslandica  S
Clione limacina  S
Corambe steinbergae  S
Corolla spectabilis  S
Coryphella trilineata  S
Dendronotus albopunctatus  S
Dendronotus albus  S
Dendronotus dalli  S
Dendronotus rufus  S
Diaphorodoris lirulatocauda  S
Dirona pellucida  S
Doris montereyensis  I,S
Doto cf. amyra  S
Gastropteron pacificum  S
Limacia cockerelli  S
Onchidoris bilamellata  I
Tochuina gigantea  S
Triopha catalinae  S
Tritonia exsulans  S
Tritonia festiva  S
 
     Chitons
Cryptochiton stelleri  I
Cyanoplax dentiens  I

Cyanoplax fernaldi  S
Dendrochiton flectens  S
Katharina tunicata  I,S
Lepidozona cooperi  S

Lepidozona interstincta  S
Lepidozona mertensii  S
Lepidozona radians  S
Lepidozona retiporosa  S
Leptochiton cf. rugatus  I,S
Mopalia cirrata  S

Mopalia egretta  S
Mopalia hindsii S
Mopalia imporcata  S
Mopalia kennerleyi  S
Mopalia lignosa  S
Mopalia muscosa  S
Mopalia spectabilis  S
Mopalia swanii  S
Mopalia vespertina  S
Placiphorella velata  S
Tonicella insignis  S
Tonicella lineata  I
Tonicella cf. undocaerulea  S
Tonicella venusta  S
Tripoplax trifida  S     

     Scaphopods                                                                   
Pulsellum salishorum  S                                                        
Rhadius rectius  S

    

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This page last revised: 7-2-2024