Show:
Echinoderms
(Stars, Urchins)
Crustaceans and Arthropods
Mollusks and Gastropods
Cnidarians
(Anemone, etc.)
Fish
100
How do Sea Stars eat mussels?
They pull them apart with their tube feet and then push their stomach out through their mouth and into the mussel. They use their enzymes to dissolve the mussel.
100
How can you tell if a crab is male or female?
The tail fused to the abdomen of the crab will have a triangle shaped tail. Males have a narrow “Washington Monument” shaped tail, and females have a wider and rounder “Capital Building” shaped tail.
100
This local rock snail varies in color and is a little bit larger than a periwinkle. It is a carnivore.
What is an Atlantic Dogwinkle
100
What other animals are closely related to anemones? Hint: Think about their shape and defenses.
Jellyfish and coral
100
What fish found on local marshes was also the first species of fish to go into outer space?
The Mummichog
200
What type of echinoderm can grow back its missing limbs?
The Sea Star
200
What is purpose of the horseshoe crabs spike like “telson” tail?
It is a tool the horseshoe crabs use to right themselves if they end up upside down.
200
A blue mussel uses what to attach itself to rocks?
Byssal threads, which are made of water insoluble protein and is secreted from the foot of the mussel.
200
Why don’t the anemones in the touch tanks sting us (humans)?
The anemones in the touch tanks power to sting isn’t strong enough to penetrate our thick skin, but they will hurt the zooplankton or small fish that the anemones like to eat.
200
What ray-like fish produces an egg case for their young that often wash up on local beaches?
The Skate
300
How do sea urchins move?
Sea Urchins have tube feet which can bind to a hard surface and then pull itself toward. They can also be used to right themselves if they become flipped over.
300
Name two invasive crab species and specify which species is a greater threat to our native species.
The European Green Crab and the Asian Shore Crab. The Asian shore crab is a bigger problem because it reproduces faster, is better at competing for territory, and is unusable commercially.
300
How does a moon snail eat other snails?
It has two parts to eat its prey with. A file-like, saw shaped radula that drills a hole in the shell, and a tubular straw-like (proboscis) to suck the snail meat out of the shell.
300
If an anemone grows on the shell of a hermit crab, is the relationship between the two an example of parasitism or is it mutually beneficial?
It is mutualistic meaning the hermit crab acquires the defensive power of the anemones’ sting and the anemone has a surface to call home.
300
Why are Mummichogs so hardy?
Living in the intertidal zone has forced them to adapt to both deep water and relatively dry conditions. Living in New England where we have 4 seasons has forced them to adapt to a wide range of temperatures and salinity.