Predators and herbivores commonly found at the Giant Stairs, Bailey's Island, ME

 

The dog whelk, Nucella lapillus. Whelks prey on mussels and barnacles. The threads are byssal threads which anchor the mussels to the substrate.

Some variation in the whelks of the genus Nucella.

The common, herbivorous littorine snail, Littorina littorea (spire height about 1.5-2 cm). Note the feeding trails on the bare rock. The darker blotches are likely diatoms or cyanobacteria.

Common starfish, Asterias

Strongylocentrotus drobachiensis

Unidentified dendronotid nudibranch (~2 cm long)

Common limpets (~2 cm long)

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Modified on 3/19/2010 by GJA