www.marine.ac.nz

Show Respect for Seashore Creatures

Check tide times to avoid being cut off by rising tide. Do not explore the seashore alone. Watch for changing weather. Look out for waves - never turn your back to the ocean.

Beware of slippery and uneven rock surfaces. Pick up any rubbish found on the shore and

dispose of it appropriately.

Be Careful and Keep Safe

Keep your distance from seabirds including penguins. Keep your distance from seals and sea lions. Use the zoom on your camera or binoculars

for close viewing. If sea lions approach you - back away slowly. Keep dogs under control.

Avoid Disturbing Wildlife

Tread carefully. Leave creatures where you found them. Leave attached seaweed in place. Handle creatures with care - close to the

ground with wet hands. Carefully put rocks back to the same position

you found them. Limit your collection of empty shells as other

creatures use them as homes.

The NZ Marine Studies Centre (Portobello, Dunedin) provides expert knowledge, research opportunities, educational programmes and resources for schools

about New Zealand’s marine environment.

AcknowledgementsThe Rocky Shore Guide, produced by the NZ Marine Studies

Centre, Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, is proudly supported and funded by Mobil Oil New Zealand Limited.

Photographer Tomas Bird. Illustrator Graeme Furness.Additional photos D. Pagé, R. Morris, C. Hepburn, P. Crick.

© NZ Marine Studies Centre 2015. All Rights Reserved.

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This guide illustrates only some of the more common seashore animals and plants. Visit our website for a comprehensive list, Māori names and information about their ecology.

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this guide at the time of publication.ISBN: 978-0-473-23140-8

Rocky Shore Guide

A handy guide to the common animals and plants living on the rocky seashores of southern New Zealand.

Southern NZ

Fish

Olive Rock FishAcanthoclinus fuscus

300mm

ClingfishGastroscyphus hectoris

90mmCommon TriplefinForsterygion spp.

50-110mm

Solitary AscidiansAsterocarpa spp.

40mm

Sea Squirts

Colonial AscidiansDistaplia spp.

Sea TulipPyura pachydermatina

400mm

Green Seaweeds

Branching Velvet WeedCodium fragile

300mm

Sea LettuceUlva spp.300mm

Intestine Weed Ulva intestinalis

150mm

Encrusting Velvet WeedCodium convolutum

200mmSea Rimu

Caulerpa brownii300mm

Bryozoans

Flexible BryozoansElzerina binderi

20mm

Sea EmeraldChaetomorpha coliformis

20mm

Bryopsis spp.80mm

Colonial AscidiansDidemnum spp.

Colonial Ascidians Botrylloides spp.

Seaweed Encrusting BryozoanMembranipora membranacea

Rock Encrusting Bryozoan

Bivalves

Ribbed MusselAulacomya maoriana

80mm

Blue MusselMytilus galloprovincialis

100mm

Rock OystersOstrea chilensis

100mm

Snails

Blue-banded PeriwinklesAustrolittorina antipodum

8mm

Brown PeriwinklesAustrolittorina cincta

16mm

Spotted Top-shellDiloma aethiops

28mm

Cat’s Eye SnailLunella smaragda

70mm

White WhelkHaustrum lacunosum

35mm

Horn SnailZeacumantus subcarinatus

16mm

Brachiopod

LampshellsCalloria inconspicua

20mm

Little Black MusselsXenostrobus neozelanicus

30mm

Lined WhelkBuccinulum linea

25mm

Black Top-shellDiloma spp.

26mm

Oyster BorerHaustrum scobina

35mm

Green-lipped MusselPerna canaliculus

150mm

mm

Camouflage CrabNotomithrax spp.

42mm

CrabsSmooth Shore CrabCyclograpsus lavauxi

28mm

Pill Box CrabHalicarcinus innominatus

19mm

Common Shore CrabHemigrapsus sexdentatus

57mm

Hermit CrabPagurus spp.

10mm

Half CrabPetrolisthes elongatus

10mm

Hairy Handed CrabHemigrapsus crenulatus

40mm

Sponges

Encrusting SpongeHalichondria spp.

Golf Ball SpongeTethya bergquistae

40mm

Shrimps & HOPPERS

SandhopperAmphipods

5-10mm

Sea SlaterIsopods10mm

Glass ShrimpPalaemon affinis

65mm

Anemones

Red Beadlet AnemoneActinia tenebrosa

40mmWhite Striped Anemone

Anthothoe albocincta 20mm

Tide Pool AnemoneAnthopleura aureoradiata

30mm

Jewel AnemoneCorynactis australis

10mm

Olive AnemoneIsactinia olivacea

25mm

Sea Centipede Isopods

20-30mm

Worms

Blue Tube WormSpirobranchus cariniferus

50mm

Rag WormFamily: Nereididae

150mm

Barnacles

Columnar BarnacleChamaesipho columna

9mm

Spiral Tube WormsFamily: Serpulidae

3mm

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220 230 240 250 260 270 280 290 300 310 320 330 340 350 360 370 380 390 400 410 420 430 440 450 460 470 480 490 500 510 520 530 540 550 560 570

SEA STARS

Three and Three StarAllostichaster insignis

150mm

Seven Armed Sea StarAstrostole scabra

360mm

Cushion StarPatiriella spp.

70mm

Spiny Sea StarCoscinasterias muricata

150mm

Reef StarStichaster australis

300mm

Brittle StarOphiomyxa brevirima

50mm

Red Tube WormGaleolaria hystrix

50mm

Gooseneck BarnacleCalantica spinosa

40mm

Plicate BarnacleEpopella plicata

25mm

Beaked Barnacle Austrominius modestus

5mm

Flat WormAnonymus kaikourensis

50mm

Chitons

Hairy Chiton Acanthochitona zelandica

25mm

Green ChitonChiton glaucus

35mm

Snakeskin ChitonSypharochiton pelliserpentis

50mm

Limpets

Brown ChitonIschnochiton maorianus

40mm

Yellow Foot / Silver PauaHaliotis australis

85mm

Ornate LimpetCellana ornata

40mm

Black Foot PauaHaliotis iris

250mmVirgin Paua

Haliotis virginea50mm

Duck’s Bill LimpetScutus breviculus

150mm

Lemon NudibranchDendrodoris citrina

75mm

Warty Nudibranch Doris wellingtonensis

100mm

Butterfly ChitonCryptoconchus porosus

70mm

Paua / Sea Slugs

Radiate LimpetCellana radians

40mm

Striated LimpetCellana strigilis

80mm

Fragile LimpetAtalacmea fragilis

15mm

Small Limpet Notoacmea elongata

8mm

Common Pulmonate LimpetSiphonaria australis

20mm

shell interior

Brown Seaweeds

Flap Jack or Sea WrackCarpophyllum flexuosum

2m

Zig-zag Weed Cystophora scalaris

1.5mNeptunes NecklaceHormosira banksii

500mm

Strap WeedXiphophora gladiata

500mm

Bladder KelpMacrocystis pyrifera

30m

Wakame Undaria pinnatifida

1m

Gummy WeedSplachnidium rugosum

200mm

Red Seaweeds

Erect Coralline Algae Arthrocardia corymbosa

120mm

Encrusting Coralline Algae

Moss WeedBostrychia arbuscula

50mm

Pachymenia dictotoma 500mm

KarengoPyropia spp.

300mm

Scytosiphon lomentaria300mm

Sac WeedColpomenia spp.

100mm

Sea SackAdenocystis utricularis

90mm

Filamentous Brown WeedEctocarpus spp.

100mm

Bull KelpDurvillaea poha

3-10m

Carrageenan WeedSarcothalia livida

200mm

Filamentous RedPolysiphonia spp.

150mm