*** Still a work in progress, if you have photos or an unknown hitchhiker from our rock please send it to [email protected] I will try to identify it and add you photo below

 

Mollusks

 
 Atlantic Wing Oyster
Pteria colymbus
Long dark wing like valves extend from hinge.
 Atlantic Thorny Oyster
Spondylus americanus
Numerous scattered spines cover surface, shells vary in color from white, yellow, orange, red and purple but generally overgrown by other organisms.
 Antillean Fileclam
Limaria pellucida
Mantle red, orange or white with white to pinkish tentacles, white valves of unequal size sculpted with small uneven radiating ribs.
 Pygmy Octopus
Atlantic Pygmy Octopus
Octopus joubini
Small, reddish to orangish brown with pale banding across the arms, skin texture smooth.
 Fleshy Limpit
Cancellate Fleshy Limpet
Lucapina suffuse
Slightly depressed oblong shell with many alternating large and small ribs and a finely toothed margin, dark edged keyhole slightly off center, fleshy cream to orange mantle.
Keyhole Limpit 
Key Hole Limpet
Diodora aspera
The conical shell resembles a pyramid. Moves freely over rock or shell as it grazes on algae.
 West Indian Star Snail
Lithopoma tectum
High conical shell with 7 to 8 whorls, irregular axial ribs form knobs on the shoulders, often encrusted with coralline algae.
 Chocolate Lined Top Snail
Calliostoma javanicum
Numerous thin tan, slightly raised and occasionally beaded ribs separated by well-defined chocolate brown lines, occasional reddish orange highlights.
 Florida Cone
Conus flordanus
Yellowish brown shell with white and brown blotches, occasionally encircled with several lines composed of dashes and wide pale bands.
 Lace Murex
Chicoreus dilectus
Shell with 3 prominent rows of leaf like projections.
 Lightning Whelk
Busycon sinstrum
Low conical spiral with nodules on the shoulder of each whorl, long oval aperture with slightly twisted canal.
 True Tulip
Fasciolaria tulipa
Spindle shaped shell gray, green or brown with thin dark spiral stripes and longitudinal lines often with black or tan blotches. Body red brown or black with white speckles.
Cerith Snail 
Cerith Snail
Cerithium sp
As well as having a gorgeous, elongated spiral shell, this active scavenger can consume large amounts of detritus, uneaten food, fish waste, and algae. 
 Astrea Snail
Astraea tecta
Pyramid-shape shell with tan to olive green coloration. Some individuals have projections on the shell that give it a star-like outline
  Horse Conch
Triplofusus papillosus
It has ten whorls, and its shoulders bear large, low nodules. The operculum is a leathery brown color, the aperture is orange, and the animal itself is brick red in color.
   
 

 ANEMONES

 
 Light Bulb Anemone
Light Bulb Anemone
Undetermined
Distinctive translucent bulb-shaped tentacles tipped with thin elongated curling tips, bands and shades or green tan and white.
 Branching Anemone
Lubrunia danae
Stubby branching pseudotentacles with prominent nematocyst-bearing knobs, shades of brown to gray to blue-green with lighter markings.
 Corkscrew Anemone
Bartholomea annulat
Numerous long thin translucent gray or greenish tentacles with whitish corkscrew like markings.
 

CORALS

 

Ivory Tree Coral
Robust Ivory Tree Coral

Oculina robusta
 Tube Coral
Tube Coral
Cladocora arbuscla
Colonies form small densely branching clumps. Branches have fine ridges running their length, and each ends with a singular corallite. Tan to golden brown and dark brown.
 Cup Coral
Hidden Cup Coral
Phyllangia Americana
Colonies form small encrusting groups of polyps. Six protruding primary and six somewhat smaller secondary septa around the rims. Brown color ranging from yellow-brown to brown to red-brown.
 Rose Coral

Manicina areolata

Brown to yellow-brown to gray and green. Ridges and valleys often contrasting shades or different colors.

 
Fire Coral 
Branching Fire Coral
Millepora alcicornis
   
 

SPONGES

 
 Red Boring Sponge
Red Boring Sponge
Cliona delitrix
Bright Red to Reddish Brown encrusts and bores into coral heads and rocks.
 Viscus Sponge
Viscous Sponge
Plakortis angulospiculatus
Brown yo Tan to Black encrusting sponge, appearance often resembles a flow of viscous material. Surface smooth with occasionally a single small hole. The consistency is tough, rubbery, very slightly compressible.
Orange Icing Sponge 
Orange Icing Sponge
Mycale laevis
Porous bright orange encrusting sponge.
Yellow Sponge
Unnamed Sponge
 Verongula rigida
This sponge ranges in color for Yellow to Green to Brown and Tan. It has large lobes with numerous pits and ridges over the surface.
 Star Encrusting Sponge
Halisarca caerulea
Thin encrusting red, blue lavender or gray sponge with star shaped canals radiating from exocurrent openings.
Vase Sponge
Ircinia campana
Tan colored cup-shaped sponges, although asymmetrical specimens with a lower and a higher cup-wall are common.
   
 

CRABS

 
 Coral Clinging Crab
Mithrax hispidus
Tan to red carapace and walking legs often covered with sponge and algae, first section of stout claw arms heavily spined, tubercles around eyes.
Emerald Crab 
Green Clinging Crab
(Emerald Crab)
Mithraculus sculptus
Olive green carapace and appendages back covered with smooth round nodules, walking legs heavily bristled.
Red Ridged Clinging Crab 
Red-Ridged Clinging Crab
(Red Mythrax Crab)
Mithraculus forceps
Shiny oval carapace with three forward angling groves orange, brown, red to olive bristled walking legs, stout claw arms.
 Porcelain Crab
Porcelain Crab
Petrolisthes caribensis
Pale blue ridgid carpace, claw arms and upper legs with red-brown markings forming wavy tranverse linines, lower legs banded.

 Gorilla Crab or Teddy Bear Crab
 Decorator Neck Crab
Podochela sp
Because of extensive covering of organisms it is difficult to identify species.
 
Spongy Decorator Crab
Macrocoeloma trispinosum
Triangular tan to red or brown carapace with indentation on each side behind the eye, two indentations on rear carapace body typically covered with decoration.
 Reticulated Hermit
Iridopagurus reticulatus
Small translucent tan with bristles on equal size claw arms with brown reticulated   pattern, pale eyestalks with brown band near the base and another just below the cream colored eyes.
   
 

SHRIMP

 
 Green Pistol Shrimp Blue Leg Pistol Shrimp Mantis Shrimp
   
 

STARFISH

 
 Bandedarm Brittle Star

Ophioderma appressa

Green to gray with light and dark banded arms.

Serpent Starfish
Serpent Starfish
 Basket Star

Astrophyton muricatum

Large numerous thin arms extend out at night to form a plankton net. Colors range from Tan, to orange to brown.

   
  WORMS 
 
Social Feather Dusters
Social Feather Duster
Bispira brunnea
Grow in clusters, crowns extend from exposed parchment like tubes, circular crows white, tan, brown or purple often two toned with dark centers.
Christmas Tree Worm 
Christmas Tree Worm

Spirobranchus giganteus

Two spiraling crowns or radioles; double horned operculum extends from between the radioles, calcareous tube with large spike like protrusion. Highly variable colors and markings.

 
   
 

SEA CUCUMBERS

 
Hidden Cucumber
Hidden Sea Cucumber
Pseudotyone belli
Mouth surrounded by 8 long highly branched tentacles and a single short pair. White with brown or maroon.
 Tiger Tail Cucumber 
   
 

PLANTS

 
 Watercress Alga

Halimeda opuntia

Thick profusly branched clumps of rounded three lobed or ribbed leaf like segments. Dark to bright green and yellowish green.

 Calulerpa

Oval-Blade Alga

Calulerpa prolifera

Small flat elongated blades with short cylindrical stalks. Grow upward from long cylindrical runners. Shades of green.

Green Grape Algae 
Mermaids Fan   
   
 

FISH 

 
 Tiger Goby  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

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