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List of animals of Long Island Sound facts for kids

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Long Island Sound is a large marine estuary in the Northeastern United States. It forms the maritime border between New York's Long Island and Connecticut. It is diverse and serves as a breeding ground to many different types of marine animal species; the following is a list of said species by scientific and/or common name. Marine mammals are excluded; see List of mammals of New York for the corresponding species.

Sponges (Porifera)

  • Clathria prolifera (red beard sponge)
  • Cliona celata (boring sponge)
  • Halichondria panicea (breadcrumb sponge)
  • Halichondria bowerbanki (yellow sun sponge)
  • Haliclona loosanoffi (erect sponge)
  • Haliclona oculata (mermaid's glove)
  • Isodictya palmata (finger sponge)
  • Polymastia robusta

Comb jellies (Ctenophora)

  • Pleurobrachia pileus (sea gooseberry)

Jellyfishes (Cnidaria: Medusozoa)

  • Aurelia aurita (moon jelly)
  • Chrysaora quinquecirrha (Atlantic sea nettle)
  • Cyanea capillata (lion's mane jellyfish)
  • Physalia physalis (Portuguese man o'war)

Corals (Cnidaria: Alcyonacea and Scleractinia)

  • Alcyonium digitatum = Dead Man's Fingers Coral
  • Astrangia poculata = Northern Star Coral

Sea Anemones (Cnidaria: Actiniaria)

  • Ceriantheopsis americana (American striped burrowing anemone; invasive species)
  • Cerianthus borealis = Northern Burrowing Anemone
  • Diadumene leucolena = Ghost Anemone
  • Diadumene lineata = Orange-Striped Green Anemone
  • Fagesia lineata = Lined Anemone
  • Metridium senile = Frilled Anemone
  • Urticina felina = Northern Red Anemone

Crustaceans (Arthropoda: Crustacea)

True Crabs (Decapoda: Brachyura)

  • Callinectes sapidus = Atlantic Blue Crab
  • Carcinus maenas (European green crab; invasive species)
  • Ovalipes ocellatus = Lady Crab
  • Cancer irroratus = Atlantic Rock Crab
  • Cancer borealis = Jonah Crab
  • Libinia emarginata = Common Spider Crab
  • Libinia dubia = Longnose Spider Crab
  • Pelia mutica = Cryptic Teardrop Crab
  • Sesarma reticulatum = Marsh Crab
  • Hemigrapsus sanguineus (Asian shore crab; invasive species)
  • Uca pugnax = Atlantic Marsh Fiddler Crab
  • Uca pugilator = Atlantic Sand Fiddler Crab

Other decapods

  • Homarus americanus = American Lobster
  • Pagurus longicarpus = Long-Wrist Hermit Crab
  • Pagurus pollicaris = Flatclaw Hermit Crab
  • Crangon septemspinosa = Seven-Spined Sand Shrimp
  • Palaemonetes pugio = Daggerblade Grass Shrimp
  • Gilvossius setimanus = Ghost Shrimp
  • Upogebia affinis = Coastal Mud Shrimp

Mantis Shrimp (Stomatopoda)

  • Squilla empusa = Atlantic Mantis Shrimp

Horseshoe crabs (Arthropoda: Xiphosura)

Cephalopods (Mollusca: Cephalopoda)

Gastropods (Mollusca: Gastropoda)

Littorinimorpha

This group includes filter feeders, omnivores, and predatory sea snails.

  • Crepidula fornicata = Common Slipper Shell Snail
  • Crepidula plana = Eastern White Slipper Shell
  • Euspira heros = Northern Moonsnail
  • Euspira triseriata = Spotted Moonsnail
  • Neverita duplicata = Sharkeye Moonsnail
  • Littorina littorea (common periwinkle; invasive species)
  • Littorina saxatilis = Rough Periwinkle

Neogastropoda

Most neogastropods are predatory sea snails.

  • Buccinum undatum = Waved Whelk
  • Busycon carica = Knobbed Whelk
  • Busycotypus canaliculatus = Channeled Whelk
  • Ilyanassa obsoleta = Eastern Mudsnail
  • Ilyanassa trivittata = Threeline Mudsnail
  • Mitrella lunata = Lunar Dovesnail
  • Phrontis vibex = Bruised Nassa
  • Nucella lapillus = Atlantic Dogwinkle
  • Urosalpinx cinerea = Atlantic Oyster Drill
  • Eupleura caudata = Thick-lip Drill
  • Kurtziella cerina = Wax-Colored Mangelia

Ptenoglossa

  • Cerithiopsis greenii = Green's Cerith
  • Seila adamsii = Adam's Cerith
  • Retilaskeya emersonii = Awl Cerith

Bivalves (Mollusca: Bivalvia)

Pteriomorphia

These filter feeders are either mobile or permanently attached to a substrate.

  • Anadara transversa = Transverse Ark
  • Anadara ovalis = Blood Ark
  • Crassostrea virginica = Eastern Oyster
  • Ostrea edulis = European Flat Oyster
  • Mytilus edulis = Blue Mussel
  • Geukensia demissa = Ribbed Mussel
  • Modiolus modiolus = Northern Horsemussel
  • Anomia simplex = Jingle Shell
  • Argopecten irradians = Bay Scallop
  • Placopecten magellanicus = Sea Scallop

Heterodonta

These filter feeders are mostly burrowers.

  • Arctica islandica = Ocean Quahog
  • Mercenaria mercenaria = Northern Quahog / Hardshell Clam
  • Pitar morrhuanus = False Quahog
  • Spisula solidissima = Atlantic Surf Clam
  • Mulinia lateralis = Dwarf Surf Clam
  • Petricola pholadiformis = False Angelwing
  • Mya arenaria = Softshell Clam
  • Ensis directus = Atlantic Jackknife / Razor Clam
  • Astarte undata = Wavy Astarte
  • Astarte castanea = Smooth Astarte

Echinoderms (Echinodermata)

Sea Urchins (Echinoidea)

Sea Cucumbers (Holothuroidea)

  • Sclerodactyla briareus = Hairy Sea Cucumber

Starfish (Asteroidea)

  • Crossaster papposus = Spiny Sunstar
  • Solaster endeca = Purple Sunstar
  • Pteraster militaris = Winged Sea Star
  • Hippasteria phrygiana = Horse Star
  • Leptasterias tenera = Slender Seastar
  • Asterias vulgaris = Northern Seastar
  • Asterias forbesi = Common Seastar
  • Henricia sanguinolenta = Blood Star

Brittle stars (Ophiuroidea)

  • Ophioderma Brevispinum = Shortspined Brittlestar
  • Ophiopholis Aculeata = Daisy Brittlestar
  • Amphioplus abditus = Burrowing Brittlestar
  • Axiognathus squamata = Little Brittlestar
  • Gorgonocephalus arcticus = Northern Basketstar

Sea squirts (Chordata: Tunicata)

  • Didemnum spp.
  • Molgula manhattensis = Sea Grape
  • Styela clava = Asian stalked Tunicate
  • Botryllus schlosseri = Golden Star Tunicate
  • Botrylloides violaceus = Compound Tunicate

Cartilaginous fish (Chordata: Chondrichthyes)

Sharks (Selachimorpha)

Resident sharks

Vagrant sharks

Skates and rays (Batoidea)

Bony Fish (Chordata: Osteichthyes)

Eels (Anguilliformes)

Gadiformes

Seahorses and pipefishes (Syngnathiformes)

Jacks (Carangiformes: Carangidae)

Flatfish (Pleuronectiformes)

Scorpaeniformes

  • Hemitripterus americanus = Atlantic Sea Raven
  • Myoxocephalus aenaeus = Grubby Sculpin
  • Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus = Longhorn Sculpin
  • Prionotus carolinus = Northern Sea Robin
  • Prionotus evolans = Striped Sea Robin
  • Pterois volitans (red lionfish; invasive species)
  • Anarhichas lupus = Atlantic wolffish

Wrasses (Labriformes: Labridae)

Perciformes

Drums (Sciaenidae)

Other Perciformes

Anglerfish (Lophiiformes)

  • Dibranchus atlanticus = Atlantic Batfish
  • Lophius americanus = American Anglerfish
  • Chaetodipterus faber = Atlantic spadefish

Tetraodontiformes

All of the animals in this category are summer visitors, who migrate northwards from warmer waters in the south.

Miscellaneous Percomorpha

  • Ammodytes americanus = American Sand Lance
  • Apeltes quadracus = Four-Spined Stickleback (found in fresh and brackish water)
  • Fundulus majalis = Striped Killifish
  • Menidia menidia = Atlantic Silverside
  • Opsanus tau = Oyster Toadfish
  • Peprilus triacanthus = Atlantic Butterfish, American Butterfish
  • Selene vomer = Lookdown

Gulf Stream Strays

Mainly all the animals in this category are juveniles carried via the Gulf Stream To the sound and end up dying when the water temperature cools.

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List of animals of Long Island Sound Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.