SOME COMMON ANIMALS AND PLANTS OF EUROBODALLA’S
ROCKY SHORES

Ranging from beautifully coloured sandstones in the north, to ancient twisted metamorphic rocks, smooth granites and basalt boulders, Eurobodalla coast has a spectacular variety of rocky shores.  

When you explore please take nothing but photos and leave this habitat and its creatures exactly as you found them.  Our shores are fantastic places to explore but keep an eye on the waves and beware of the poisonous Blue Ringed Octopus.

Marine animals and plants are adapted to varying levels of exposure to the air and sun but as most rocky shores are very uneven the zones are not clear.

SPLASH ZONE

The animals and plants here are only wet by splash, mist and rain. 
They have to be able to withstand very hot, dry, salty conditions as well as cold and freshwater.

Lichens - algae and fungi that work  together to survive on the surface of the rocks.

Both these small molluscs scrape lichen and microscopic algae from the rocks for food.  Their light colour helps keep them cool.

HIGH SHORE

These 3 molluscs graze microscopic algae from the moist rocks and are often found in pools or under rocks.

Striped-mouth Conniwink Bembicium nanum <22mm	Zebra Top Shell Austrocochlea porcata <25mm	Black Nerite Nerita atramentosa <30mm

Barnacle larvae (crustaceans) attach to the rocks with their heads, form shell plates around themselves and kick planktonic food into their mouths with their hairy legs.

Honeycomb Barnacle Chamaesipho tasmanica <8mm Pack tightly together on exposed shores.	Six-plated Barnacle Chthamalus antennatus <18mm Often the highest barnacle on the shore	Rosette Barnacle Tetraclitella purpurascens <25mm Found in sheltered shady areas

MID SHORE

The tides cover this part of the shore for about half of each 24 hours.  Many animals live among the dense tubeworm aggregations or in pools sheltered by seaweeds. 

Neptune’s Necklace Hormosira banksii Found around pools if the waves are not too strong.	Galeolaria Worms Galeolaria caespitosa tubes < 30mm Secrete a limy tube.  Often found clumped together.  They breathe and catch their planktonic food with feathery black gills.

Sea Anemones catch their small prey with stinging cells on their tentacles.

Green Anemone Aulactinia veratra = Cnidopus verater < 70mm Found in pools and water filled crevices.	Waratah Anemone Actinia tenebrosa < 40mm Often seen out of water in shady  crevices where it looks like a brown blob.

Limpets eg Cellana < 60mm Cling tightly to the rocks, moving and grazing on tiny algae when the tide is in.	Chitons eg Ischnochiton australis < 90mm Grazers, found mainly in crevices and under seaweeds.	Mulberry Whelk Morula marginalba < 30mm Also called the Oyster Borer because it drills holes in the shells of oysters and other prey.

LOW SHORE

This area remains underwater for most of each day and more species live in this zone. 

Algae are grouped according to their photsynthesising pigments – Green, Brown and Red Algae. The algae found here are mainly in pools or at lower levels where they can form dense mats.

Sea Lettuce (Ulva species) Green Found where rocks are wave washed and grazers are less numerous.  Can be bleached by the sun.	Sea Velvet (eg Dead Man’s Fingers Codium fragile) Green The fronds are densely covered by tiny hairs.  Other Codium species form lumps in rock pools.

Striped Fan Weed ( Padina species) Brown Has characteristic horizontal stripes on the fronds.	Fan Weed (Lobophora species)	Globe Weed Colpomenia sinuosa Brown    Found in pools and among brown weed mats. Often washed up on beaches.

Coralline Algae ( Padina species) Red All have calcium carbonate in their tissues and are pink.  Some are small branching species.	Coralline Algae Here is one that forms an encrustation.	Encrusting Purple Sponge Found in pools and sub-tidal. Sponges feed on microscopic organisms in the water and may be eaten by molluscs and fish.

Shellgrit Anemone Oulactis muscosa < 80mm Usually buried in sand with only its tentacles showing.	Green Warrener Turbo undulatus < 50mm Grazes on algae.  Found in pools and gutters. .	Cartrut Shell Dicathais orbita < 75mm Preys on barnacles and molluscs by drilling holes in their shells.

Spengler’s Triton Cabestana spengleri < 170mm Preys mainly on cunjevoi.	Hairy Mussel Trichomya hirsuta < 60mm Common in intertidal areas.	Sea Hares (eg Dolabrifera species) < 250mm Most often seen in summer when they come near shore to mate and lay strings of eggs.

Steelback Crab Leptograpsus variegatus < 80mm Scavenges and feeds on algae.  Found at lower levels too.	Reef Crab Ozius species < 50mm Common under rocks near low tide mark.	Pink Surf Barnacle Tesseropora rosea < 20mm Prefers sites with moderate to strong wave action.

Sydney Parchment Worm Diopatra dentata < 100mm The worm attaches bits of shell to its tube and can withdraw quickly into it. Tentacles on its head capture food.	Cunjevoi or Sea Squirts Pyura stolonifera < 150mm Filter plankton from the water for food and form large groups that shelter smaller animals. The larva is tadpole shaped and has a primitive spinal chord.

SUB TIDAL

The animals and plants here are not adapted to living out of water but may occasionally be exposed for a short while by very low tides. 

Rough or Leather Kelp (Ecklonia radiata ) Brown Very common at low tide level and washed up on beaches.	Cray Weed or Bubble Kelp (Phyllospora comosa) Brown Has spindle shaped floats. Often shelters baby crayfish.	Sargassum (Sargassum species)Brown Very common at low tide level and washed up on beaches.

Caulerpa (eg Caulerpa cactoides ) Green Fronds attach to a horizontal stem.	Caulerpa (Caulerpa taxifolia) Green A problem weed in Durras and other lakes and should be reported to Fisheries.	Golf Ball Sponge (Tethya corticata )< 25mm Bright orange blobs usually seen in shaded crevices.

Turban Shell (Turbo torquatus ) < 100mm Grazes on large seaweeds. Common in middens.	Elephant Snail (Scutus antipodes) ) < 100mm Lives under rocks at low tide level. Feeds on drift algae at night.	Tent Shell (Astralium tentoriiformis )< 60mm Very common subtidally on bare rock encrusted with coralline algae. Grazes on algae.

Nudibranchs (eg Ceratosoma amoena ) (top animal) < 150mm Small colourful sea slugs that prey mainly on sponges. ( Hypselodoris bennetti ) (bottom animal) < 60mm	Irridescent biting worm (Eunice species ) < 100mm Large active polychaete worm that hunts for small invertebrates.

Sea Urchin (Heliocidaris erythrogramma ) < 100mm Found in crevices and under stones in pools. Eats the larger algae. Some are darker in colour.	Hollow-spined or Black Urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii) ) < 200mm Very common subtidally. Eats larger algae and, with other urchins, can form barrens of bare rock .

Eleven-armed Seastar (Coscinasterias muricata ) < 250mm Can have 7-14 arms and whole animals can grow from arms that are broken off. Scavenges and preys on molluscs. Common in sheltered areas.	Brittle Stars (eg Ophionereis schayeri) ) < 200mm One of many different species of brittle stars that live under rocks below the low tide mark. Most feed on small organic particles in the sediment.	Octopuses Several species live in our area. They usually hunt at night and hide during the day. Females attach their eggs to the underside of a rock then guard and ventilate them until hatched.