Lupin sp. - flower close-up.

Just over a week ago during the Comox Valley Spring Bird Count I was leading a team of birders out onto Goose Spit in Comox, British Columbia with our Department of National Defense minder (CFB Comox). We didn’t see much variety in the way of birds, mostly Savannah Sparrows and Killdeer at this site, but the dune plants were fantastic and there were lots of flowers in bloom. 19 Wing Comox and the Coastal Invasive Plant Committee worked together in the fall of 2009 to remove much of the Scotch broom that used to dominate the spit and the change is striking.

Lupin sp.

This week I returned with my Nikon D80 and macro lens to photograph some of the flowers. There’s a narrow strip of dune habitat between the high tide mark and driftwood logs and the DND border that provides access to most of the plants that can be seen within the DND lands. It is very important to be careful moving through this area and be aware of the potential to damage plants, especially the Yellow Sand-verbena (Abronia latifolia) which the associated endangered Sand-verbena Moth (Copablepharon fuscum) depends on.

Seashore Lupin (Lupinus littoralis)?

Two of the plants that I saw out on Goose Spit were Lupins – one I’m reasonably sure is Seashore Lupin (Lupinus littoralis), the other … well, if there are any lupin experts out there that can confirm my identification and help to identify the other I’d appreciate it! It’s a great time of year to be out exploring nature in British Columbia but there’s so much in bloom that it’s challenging to get out to see it (let alone write a blog post about it!).

Seashore Lupin (Lupinus littoralis)?

I’ll be posting a more detailed article on Island Nature about Goose Spit and the flowers that can be seen there later this week.

The beach at Point Holmes, Comox, BC.

Point Holmes in Comox, BC is an excellent place for beach exploration. At low tide there is a perfect mix of both cobblestone habitat and sandy beach habitat which results in a wide variety of marine life. Throw in a few large boulders and you’ve got the potential to find Purple Seastars (Pisaster ochraceus) on a good low tide. At other times of the year I’ve found over a dozen Monterey Sea Lemons (Doris monteryensis) in the tide pools at Point Holmes.

In addition to the Wrinkled Dogwhelks, Pink-tipped Anemones, and Red Rock Crabs that I found at Point Holmes on my last afternoon on the beach I also found the shell of a native Pacific Littleneck (Protothaca staminea). Since finding and photographing the non-native Japanese Littleneck (Venerupis philippinarum) on the mudflats of Comox Bay I’ve been searching for the somewhat similar looking Pacific Littleneck in order to compare the two.

The outer surface of the shells of the Pacific Littleneck (Protothaca staminea) showing the round shape of the valves and the latticed surface.

A quick look at the upper surface of both of these Littleneck clams is sometimes enough to identify them correctly. The Pacific Littleneck is rounder in shape than the Japanese Littleneck and mature specimens lack the patterning that is characteristic of the Japanese Littleneck. Keep in mind that immature Pacific Littlenecks often have patterned shells so assuming that a patterned shell is a Japanese Littleneck can be a mistake. Mature Pacific Littlenecks have an outer shell surface that is typically white to brown in colour with a lattice like structure (radial lines crossing the comarginal growth lines form a grid). Both of these species grow to around 7.5 cm in length.

The inner shell of the Pacific Littleneck (Protothaca staminea) showing the white inner surface.

Examining the interior of the shell is probably a more reliable way to separate these two littlenecks. The Pacific Littleneck lacks the purple staining that is usually visible in the inner shell of the Japanese Littleneck (older Japanese Littleneck shells may lack the purple colour or it may be very faint as the shells are worn by wave action). Feeling the margin, or edge, of the shell is also a good way to identify the Pacific Littleneck. A close look at the margin reveals fine “teeth” that are easily felt with a finger. The edge of a Japanese Littleneck shell is smooth to the touch.

Note the clean white the inner shell of the Pacific Littleneck (Protothaca staminea) in comparison with the Japanese Littleneck (left).

The inner shell of the Japanese Littleneck (Venerupis philippinarum) showing the distinctive purple stain and oblong shape of this clam.

Live Pacific Littlenecks are generally found buried about 10 cm deep in both mixed gravel or sand/mud substrate in the mid-intertidal zone, usually farther out than the Japanese Littleneck. They are a fast growing species of clam and live between 8 and 14 years. Both Pacific and Japanese Littlenecks are harvested commercially and make good steamer clams or ingredients in clam chowder. If you’re planning to eat Pacific Littlenecks be sure to check with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for regulations and area closures.

Recommended Reading:

• Marine Life in Whatcom County – nice overview of both species of littlenecks including their ecology and lifecycle.
• Rick Harbo’s Shells and Shellfish of the Pacific Northwest

I made my way out onto a large cobblestone bar following the dropping tide. After discovering a small cast of Red Rock Crabs I ventured out toward the far edge of water. One of the rules of beach exploration is to move slowly. Walking carefully lessens your impact and you’re more likely to see some of the small things that are often missed.

Here’s just a few of the things that I saw on the beach this weekend:

Purple Encrusting Sponge (Haliclona sp.) plus some bryozoans, a few small snails and a limpet!

This Purple Encrusting Sponge (Haliclona sp.) is fairly easy to identify due to its distinctive colour and prominent oscula (excurrent pores). The sponge is soft and velvety to the touch. Note the other organisms on this rock – what appear to be some bryozoans (the mesh like pattern) and some small snails.

Sea Oats - the distinctive egg mass of a Wrinkled Dogwelk (Nucella lamellosa).

I knew that these were eggs but was unsure of what type of snail laid them until I found more of them and a rout of Wrinkled Dogwelks (Nucella lamellosa) at the base of a very large boulder in the middle of the cobblestone beach. The egg masses are commonly called sea oats because of their distinctive appearance.

Wrinkled Dogwelks (Nucella lamellosa) and eggs.

There were a few anemones that seemed to be doing well in the little pools of water. Below is the Pink-tipped Anemone (Anthopleura elegantissima).

Pink-tipped Anemone (Anthopleura elegantissima) - note the small clone to the right of the larger anemone.

Intertidal explorers should add Andy Lamb’s excellent book Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest: A Photographic Encyclopedia of Invertebrates, Seaweeds and Selected Fishes to their reading list – its really helpful when trying to identify the intertidal creatures of the Pacific Northwest.

Looking across a shallow tidepool to a cobblestone bar at Point Holmes.

I headed out to Point Holmes this afternoon to look for and photograph a selection of beach rocks for an upcoming column that Jocie is writing. As with all trips to the shore of the sea it is very easy for a naturalist to get pleasantly off track. I was a little overwhelmed looking for something a little different from the ubiquitous granites and basalts that make up the pebbles on this part of Vancouver Island when I noticed that the tide was still going out and a cobblestone bar was now accessible. Having learned my lesson at the Filberg mudflats I was appropriately prepared to do some tide-pool exploring and waded through the shallow water in my rubber boots.

Close-up of a Red Rock Crab (Cancer productus).

It was then that I noticed the Red Rock Crabs (Cancer productus). Some were digging into the sand and underneath rocks as the water level dropped while others were making their way to deeper water on either side of the narrow bar that was emerging. It was a perfect opportunity to photograph these crabs since they hadn’t quite settled into their hiding places to wait out the low tide. It was interesting to see so many (at least a half dozen) at this time of day since they are generally more active at night.

Pincer of the Red Rock Crab (Cancer productus) - note the black tips.

Red Rock Crabs are a distinctive crab and easy to identify. Like the name suggests, this crab is a brick red in colour. The tips of the pincers are black and the “teeth” bordering the edge of its carapace are rounded. These differences serve to separate the Red Rock Crab from the Dungeness Crab (Cancer magister). The latter is generally a sandy gray/brown and lacks the black tipped pincers. The “teeth” bordering the edge of the Dungeness’ shell are sharp – I remember this feature by reminding myself that sharp items are likely to be found in a “dungeon.” Dungeness Crabs tend to grow to a larger size, up to 28 cm across the carapace compared to up to 20 cm across for the Red Rock Crab.

Note the rounded points on the edge of the carapace of this Red Rock Crab (Cancer productus).

An aggressive carnivore, Red Rock Crabs feed on barnacles, mussels, clams, snails, and smaller crabs. While usually not harvested commercially due to their small size and hard shell (the Dungeness is preferred) they are sometimes collected by recreational harvesters, especially in areas where the Dungeness has been over collected. Rockfish, octopus and marine mammals also eat Red Rock Crabs.

Red Rock Crab (Cancer productus) in defensive position with pincers raised.

I managed to get a good close look at the pincers while the crab was in a defensive position with its claws raised above its body. Several field books warn to be wary of the pincers since they are strong enough to crack clam shells. I decided not to test this theory!

I left the crabs to their important task of finding shelter and wandered out onto the cobblestone to look for more interesting things to discover. It seemed like the perfect way to start an hour or so of beach exploration.

Mudflats and Purple Martin nest boxes at Comox Bay, British Columbia.

I was a little better prepared for mudflat exploration at the end of the second day of the workshop at the Filberg Lodge in Comox, British Columbia. After my experience on Saturday, I wore my rubber boots and was ready to spend an hour or so out in the fine muck, gravel and clam shells. After being cooped up inside for the better part of the day it was great to poke around and see what I could find on the flats.

Japanese Littleneck Clam (Venerupis phillippinarum) with barnacles.

Most of the shells on the flats in this part of the Comox Bay belong to the Japanese Littleneck Clam (Venerupis phillippinarum) although I did find several more Bent-nosed Clams as well. The Japanese Littleneck, like the name suggests, is not native to British Columbia. When Japanese Oyster (Crassostrea gigas) spat was introduced in British Columbia as early as 1914, the seed of the Japanese Littleneck came with it. Since all bivalves reproduce through broadcast fertilization (sperm and egg mix in the water), their larvae are free floating and spread wherever the currents take them. Efauna BC lists a whole host of the other marine organisms that came with the Japanese Oyster.

I started picking through shells trying to find some that weren’t covered with barnacles or stained with mud and algae. It was fairly challenging but eventually I did find a couple of shells that were good representatives of the Japanese Littleneck Clam.

The inner valves of the Japanese Littleneck Clam (Venerupis phillippinarum) showing the purple marking at the posterior end of the clam.

The diagnostic field mark of this species that can be used to easily separate it from the Native Little Neck (Protothaca staminea) is the distinctive purple colouration at the posterior margin. Over time this marking becomes faded and I had to look at several before I found a shell that was clearly marked with purple inside.

Japanese Littleneck Clam (Venerupis phillippinarum) showing the pattern on the outer surface of the shell.

Other field marks that can be used to distinguish these two similar looking clams are the elongated shape and the mountain range like patterns on the outer surface of the shell of the Japanese Littleneck. Native Littlenecks tend to be rounder and mature specimens lack the patterns on their surfaces.

I was glad that I had worn my gumboots since the mudflats were very wet and very muddy. The flats had more secrets to share, but those will have to wait for another day.

Beach explorers might want to consider Rick Harbo’s Shells and Shellfish of the Pacific Northwest, as a valuable resource.