Text Copyright © 2003, updated 2017 Rick M. Harbo
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Harbour Publishing Co. Ltd.
P.O. Box 219, Madeira Park, BC, V0N 2H0
Cover design by Brianna Cerkiewicz
Text design by Roger Handling
Printed and bound in Canada
Harbour Publishing Co. Ltd. acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $153 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country. We also gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund and from the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Harbo, Rick M., 1949-, author
Pacific reef & shore : a photo guide to Northwest marine life / Rick M.
Harbo. — Revised second edition.
Includes index.
Issued in print and electronic formats.
ISBN 978-1-55017-786-2 (softcover).—ISBN 978-1-55017-787-9 (HTML)
1. Reef organisms—British Columbia—Pacific Coast—Identification.
2. Reef organisms—Pacific Coast (U.S.)—Identification. 3. Seashore
animals—British Columbia—Pacific Coast—Identification. 4. Seashore
animals—Pacific Coast (U.S.)—Identification. 5. Seashore plants—British
Columbia—Pacific Coast—Identification. 6. Seashore plants—Pacific Coast
(U.S.)—Identification. I. Title. II. Title: Pacific reef and shore.
QH95.3.H36 2017 578.769’909795 C2017-900898-6
C2017-900899-4
This book is dedicated to my family: Heather, Jennifer, Michael and Amy, and to my many friends who provided their assistance and shared their love and knowledge of the sea.
Acknowledgements
Scientific editing and advice were generously provided by numerous experts in the development of this guide. My thanks to Neil McDaniel, Ronald L. Shimek, William C. Austin, Claudia Mills, Daphne Fautin, Paul V. Scott, Eugene V. Coan, James McLean, Roger N. Clark, Sandra Millen, Karin Fletcher, Roland Anderson, Gregory Jensen, William Merilees, Philip Lambert, Gretchen Lambert, Charles Lambert, Andy Lamb, Graham Gillespie, Graeme Ellis, John Ford, Jane Watson, Jim Borrowman, Michael Hawkes, Sandra Lindstrom, Heidi Gartner and Duane Sept.
Special thanks to the editor, Mary Schendlinger, for giving clarity to the descriptions, and to copyeditor Merrie-Ellen Wilcox and proofreader Patricia Wolfe. Vici Johnstone provided valuable direction in the development of this guide. Mary White scanned photographs. Brianna Cerkiewicz prepared the index. Martin Nichols, Lionheart Graphics, contributed his talents to the design of the map on page 7, and Roger Handling, Terra Firma Digital Arts, designed the book’s interior.
Cover photographs and all other photos are copyright Rick M. Harbo, with the exception of copper rockfish (front cover, bottom), by Joe Belanger/Shutterstock.com; spiny dogfish, six gill shark, big skate (p. 14), long-mouth red flabellina (p. 29), copyright Neil McDaniel; red octopus (p. 30), copyright Roland Anderson, Seattle Aquarium; sail jellyfish washed up (p. 75), copyright George Holm; Spanish shawl (p. 29), copyright Duane Sept; and hairy hermit crab (p. 54) copyright B.P. Hanby.
Illustrations (6) of marine mammals (pp. 10–12) were prepared by Pieter Folkens: harbour porpoise, Dall’s porpoise, Pacific white-sided dolphin, orca, gray whale and humpback whale.
Introduction
Thousands of fascinating creatures inhabit the beaches, tidepools and waves of the Pacific Northwest, and more than 300 species of marine animals and plants listed in this field guide are just those most commonly seen along the coast of Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and northern California. Wonderful surprises await anyone—from the first-time beachcomber to the seasoned scuba diver—who spends an afternoon looking closely at the wildlife of our marine shores and waters.
Tides and Currents
Whether you are boating, diving or just walking along the seashore, you must be aware of the tides and currents in the area you are exploring. The earth’s waters rise and recede, drawn by the gravitational pull of the moon, and to a lesser extent the sun. Tidal changes can be extreme, with a daily range in water height or depth of as much as 20’ (6 m) in some locations. Tidal changes also cause swift currents at narrows where water flow is constricted. Tide and current tables, published by government agencies, are available online, at marinas, and sporting goods stores.
The best time to view marine life is during the two hours before and after the lowest tide, generally less than 2’ (60 cm) in the USA and less than 3’ (1 m) in Canada. If you are an experienced diver and you plan to visit current-swept areas for the rich marine life, plan your dives for slack times, as the tides change direction.
The intertidal area of the beach is the part that is submerged at high tide and exposed at low tide, a habitat where many animals and plants are covered and uncovered by water twice a day. Creatures that live here are adapted to the high, mid- and/or low intertidal zones. The subtidal area is the shallow water, that part of the salt water that is within diving range (less than 100’/30 m deep). Species here are always submerged, and they live in conditions of much less rugged surf and exposure to weather than intertidal dwellers.
Names of Species
Almost every plant and animal has a common name, usually local and often colourful, such as the northwest ugly clam. The scientific name (Entodesma navicula for the northwest ugly clam), is a unique name composed of two words and registered with an international organization, gives scientists a standard, precise way of communicating information about a particular organism.
Scientific classifications and names are constantly under review as more is learned about wildlife, and species names change frequently, so there are often many synonyms for a given plant or animal. Many names have been updated in this second edition. Search the World Registry of Marine Species (WoRMS) for current accepted names and synonyms, http://www.marinespecies.org.
Marine Conservation
This guidebook is intended to help you identify animals and plants in their