![]() Sand collars are quite large and distinctive, and thus usually quite visible in sandy intertidal areas. My next object is not a creature, but rather an artifact left behind by a creature. One of its chief predators is the Sunflower Star, and when threatened by the star it used its long, powerful foot to vigorously push off from the star and hopefully escaping. When viewed from the side it has a distinctive heart-shaped cross-section, resulting in its alternate name the heart cockle. Large individuals can get up to 14 cm (5 ½”) across. The next creature is Nuttall’s Cockle, a bivalve mollusk that can be found on sandy or gravel shorelines and to a depth of 30 m (100’). It is one of the fastest moving sea stars and will crawl or even swim quickly to avoid predators such as abalone and swimming scallops. Although it is occasionally found in tide pools, on rocky shorelines and even sandy beaches, it can also be found at depths up to 435 m (1,435’). In this photo you can see where this individual lost an arm and it is now growing back. If they lose an arm to a predator, it will gradually grow back. Evidently juveniles of this species start with 5 arms, but gradually add more as they get older, getting up to 24 arms as adults. This is the largest of the sea stars in my area, getting up to 1 m (39“) across. Although less commonly seen, at least in my experience, it also can be found in shades of brown, yellow and orange.Īnother sea star that I see occasionally is the Sunflower Star. Its bright purple colour with a delicate, filigree pattern in white makes it one of the most attractive of sea stars. It feeds on a variety of molluscs including mussels, chiton, abalone and a various snails. It can also be found in much deeper water, up to 90 m (300 ‘). Although most commonly found in tide pools, I have also seen it in rocky beaches and lines of kelp. This species is quite common on the east coast of Vancouver Island where I live. The first I will mention is the Purple Star. The next creatures I think of in tide pools are the sea stars. I have found this species to be more common on the west coast of the island. The green colour of this species is the result of having green algae growing in the tentacles. Like all anemones it has stinging nematocysts on the tentacles and it feeds on small fish, crabs, sea urchins and shrimp. It can grow as large as 30 cm (12”) and can live for up to 30 years in captivity. Although quite common in tidepools this anemone can be found as deep as 15+ m (50 ‘). When I think of Pacific tide pools the first thing I think of is anemones, so I will start with the Giant Green Anemone. So to start with here is a photo of the closest tidepools to where I live, a short 5 minute drive away, followed by photos of some of the various creatures from previous visits to the intertidal zones with some information on each one. Fortunately I have not lost that sense of curiosity, and I still enjoy doing the same thing, but now I also want to put a name to everything and learn something about the various things I find. I remember as a child when the family went to Cape Cod to visit our relatives, how much I looked forward to exploring the same way. But this seems to be largely the pastime of the children, and not the adults. Some, however, especially parents with young children, are actually exploring, looking in tide pools and turning over rocks. Some are walking their dogs or out for a stroll or just sitting in their camp chairs, reading or sunning themselves. Whenever I visit this habitat, especially in summer, there are people out on the exposed beaches. For those willing to take the time there is a wealth of wildlife here. At low tide the rocky shoreline, sandy or muddy tide flats, and in some areas tide pools are accessible. Perhaps the most fascinating habitat though, and the one that I have devoted the least amount of time to, is the intertidal zone, that area exposed when the tide goes out. So much is new here that I doubt that I will ever run out of things to do and places to go. Until that time I had lived all my life inland, and now here I was on the coast. Three years ago I moved from the prairies of central Canada (Edmonton, Alberta to be precise) to Comox, Vancouver Island. ![]()
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