Victoria, BC

South End of Vancouver Island

Site Description:       

Victoria is at the southern tip of Vancouver Island.  The Ogden Point Breakwater is in Victoria Harbor and it is a popular dive site.  The breakwater is constructed of large rectangular blocks.  This and a nearby kelp forest support a diverse array of marine life.  Because of the sharp dropoff, normally subtidal species can sometimes be seen at very low tides.  Our list also includes species observed by divers on the wall at a shallow subtidal level.
Victoria has several rocky points of land at the south end of the city.  Some of these points have short stretches of sandy beaches above them.   We group all of these sites together.  These points also contain data from divers at a shallow subtidal level.
The bays between the rocky points, and the deeper water offshore of Victoria have been extensively studied by divers and science expeditions.  Our subtidal list groups all of these observations. 

Google Map

 
                                        Ogden Point Breakwater                                                        Looking down into the water from the blocks
                                                                         

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, these lists will not be rated for frequency of occurrence.  They are incomplete lists.

Intertidal - I
Subtidal - S          (lack of a symbol indicates it is unknown if observed intertidally or subtidally)
















































   Victoria
     (intertidal)

     Bivalves
Hiatella arctica  I
Kurtiella tumida  I
Macoma nasuta  I
Musculus discors  I
Petricola carditoides
Solen sicarius  I  

     Gastropods
Acmaea mitra
Crepidula adunca  I
Lirobuccinum dirum  I
Littorina scutulata  I
Littorina sitkana  I
Lottia digitalis  I
Lottia pelta  I
Lottia persona  I
Lottia scutum  I
Nucella ostrina  I
Onoba carpenteri  I










     Nudibranchs/Sea slugs
Corambe pacifica

Onchidella carpenteri  I






     Chitons
Cyanoplax dentiens  I



 
Offshore, Victoria
           (subtidal)
     
     Bivalves

Astarte esquimalti
Axinopsida serricata
Cardiomya pectinata
Chlamys hastata
Chlamys rubida
Coanicardita ventricosa
Compsomyax subdiaphana
Crassadoma gigantea
Hiatella arctica
Keenaea centifilosa
Kellia suborbicularis
Lasaea adansoni
Macoma brota
Modiolus modiolus
Musculus discors
Musculus taylori
Neaeromya compressa
Neaeromya rugifera
Netastoma rostratum
Nuculana minuta
Nutricola lordi
Pandora wardiana
Semele rubropicta
Thracia trapezoides
Thyasira flexuosa
Tridonta elliptica
Yoldia seminuda
 
     Gastropods

Alia carinata
Amphissa columbiana
Antiplanes cf. vinosa
Boreotrophon multicostatus
Boreotrophon orpheus
Buccinum plectrum
Callianax baetica
Calliostoma annulatum
Calliostoma ligatum
Crepidula sp.
Euspira pallida
Exilioidea rectirostris
Lirobittium attenuatum
Margarites pupillus
Melanella sp.
Nassarius mendicus
Neadmete modesta
Neptunea lyrata
Neptunea smirnia
Neptunea tabulata
Neverita lewisii
Nodulotrophon coronatus
Odostomia sp.
Oenopota fidicula
Oenopota levidensis
Oenopota turricula
Oenopota sp.
Ophiodermella cancellata
Puncturella cucullata
Puncturella galeata
Scabrotrophon maltzani
Scabrotrophon stuarti
Solariella varicosa  
Trichotropis cancellata

     Nudibranchs/Sea slugs
Armina californica
Corolla spectabilis
Gastropteron pacificum

     
     Chitons

Hanleyella oldroydi
Mopalia imporcata

     Scaphopods
Cadulus tolmiei
Gadila aberrans

     Cephalopods
Gonatus onyx






Ogden Point Breakwater
  (extreme low intertidal to subtidal)
     
     Bivalves

Mytilimeria nuttallii  I
Mytilus californianus  I
Pandora filosa  I

 

     Gastropods

Acmaea funiculata  S
"Alvania dinora"  I
Amphissa columbiana  I
Calliostoma annulatum  I
Calliostoma ligatum  I
Ceratostoma foliatum  I
Crepidula sp.  I
Diodora aspera  I
Fusitriton oregonensis  I
Gigahomalopoma luridum  I
Homalopoma baculum  I
Lacuna vincta  I
Margarites pupillus  I
Nucella canaliculata  I
Nucella lamellosa  I
Paciocinebrina lurida  I
Paciocinebrina sclera  I
Trichotropis cancellata
Turbonilla sp.  I
Velutina velutina  I

     Nudibranchs/Sea slugs
Berthella chacei  I
Doris odhneri (at nearby point, not breakwater)
Limacia cockerelli
Onchidoris muricata (at nearby point, not breakwater)
Peltodoris nobilis (at nearby point, not breakwater)
Triopha catalinae (at nearby point, not breakwater)
 



     Chitons

Cryptochiton stelleri  I
Dendrochiton flectens  I
Katharina tunicata  I
Lepidozona cooperi (at nearby point, not breakwater)
Lepidozona radians  I
Lepidozona mertensii  I
Leptochiton cf. rugatus
(at nearby point, not breakwater)
Mopalia hindsii  I
Mopalia kennerleyi 
(at nearby point, not breakwater)
Mopalia muscosa (beach next to breakwater)
Mopalia spectabilis (at nearby point, not breakwater)
Mopalia swanii
Tonicella insignis
Tonicella lineata  I
Tonicella cf. undocaerulea  I
Tripoplax trifida  I

     

































Home  About Us  Meetings&Events  Articles  Northwest Shells  Links  Contact Us  Site Map

This page last revised: 7-2-2024