More Holiday Images from Alki Beach

Fine weather and a modest low tide series made trips to the beach almost a requirement for me......never found a reason not to go....

Acorn Barnacles showing great plasticity in growth form, in some circumstances they may produce house 6 or more inches long

Arctic Nestler clam attaches to rocks with byssus threads (few clams have byssus threads)
 (.4 cm)

Aggregate Anemone dividing

Tiny Chiton; perhaps Fernald's Baby Chiton
Found high intertidal in Rockweed habitat

Flatworm and eggs on Sand Collar

Fried-egg Jellyfish

Hydroids

Leather Limpet

Limpet with shell covered with barnacles

Moon Snail and Sand Collar

Mottled Anemone - tolerates contact with other anemones-does not form clones

Amphipod

Black-clawed Crab

Detritus and Sea Foam

Hermit Crab fight

Moon Snail laying eggs

Young Bryozoan colony

Piddock Calm

Purple Sea Star sieve plate

Amphipod (beach hopper)

Emarginated Whelk egg capsules

Heart Cockle siphon

Piddock Clams

Moon Jellyfish

Mossy Chiton

ALKI PROVIDES SOME INTERESTING COLOR

Another modest low tide in Seattle made going to the beach a colorful experience.  Among the more colorful included an orange/pink flatworm, blue siphon entry Gaper Clams, and a shocking green mouth of a Moonglow Anemone.....more flatworms, anemones eating barnacles, Purple Sea Stars with an extra ray,
and a young colony of Bryozoans....all this for just an hours time poking around on a beach.

Aggregate Anemone eating barnacle molt (Nothing goes to waste)

Black-clawed Crab interesting color (color in Black-clawed Crabs is highly variable)

Another strange color Black-clawed Crab

Black-clawed Crab with eggs (most females will have eggs in during spring/summer season)

Flatworm - unusual pink/orange color - Species unk

Pacific Gaper Clam

Pacific Gaper Clam meeting

Moonglow Anemone showing long column (up to 8 inches long)

Moonglow Anemone (green color not associated with symbiotic algae, as it has none)

Young Bryozoan colony

Scale Worm - unk species

Independence Day at Alki Beach

The day dawned cloudy and cool.....a change from the sun and heat of the last week.  A perfect day for the intertidal...except it wasn't such a great low tide...better this weekend.  Nevertheless there is always something interesting to see...low tide or not.  Today was no different; lots of flat worm sex and egg laying,
Purple Sea Star eating a chiton, Shaggy Mouse Nudibranch attacking Aggregate Anemone, and a female
Rockweed Isopod with lots of young clinging on, but about ready to head off on their own.  Not bad for a not so hot low tide.
Enjoy the Holiday!

Flatworm eggs

Flatworm

Oregon Pill Bugs and Rockweed Isopod

Flatworms laying eggs

Purple Sea Star sieve plate

Purple Sea Star on chiton

Purple Sea Star eating chiton

Rockweed Isopod female with young

Rockweed Isopod female with young

Rockweed Isopod female with young

Shaggy Mouse Nudibranch

Shaggy Mouse attacking Aggregate Anemone

Shaggy Mouse attacks Aggregate Anemone

Shaggy Mouse attacks Aggregate Anemone

Pile Worm Nereis brandti 1)

Pile Worm Takes a Stroll in the Sun

It's sunny in Seattle....so everyone is out for a stroll at Alki......don't think there is anyone at work today...all stretching the 4th of July holiday into a 5 day deal.  A large Pile Worm...Nereis brandti  joined the sun worshipers....not a good idea as the beach got rather warm.  After posing for some pictures the worm was returned to a cooler water depth. These large polychaete worms reach lengths of 90cm but are usually about 1/2 that long.  In addition some Frilled Whelks were mating, a hermit crab was giving a tiny sea squirt a ride and a Rockweed Isopod was running around with Opalescent Nudibranch eggs attached to its back.....just another normal day in the intertidal.
HAPPY 4TH of JULY....don't blow any of your appendages off...

Frilled Whelks mating

Hairy Hermit Crab

Hermit Crab

Hairy Hermit Crab with tiny Sea Squirt attached

Limpet with barnacle load

Mottled Star sieve plate

Pile Worm (Nereis brandti) about 40cm

Pile Worm

Pile Worm

Pile Worm

Pile Worm

Pile Worm

Pile Worm

Pile Worm

Pile Worm

Isopod (Rockweed) with Opalescent Nudibranch eggs attached

NEWS FROM ALKI BEACH

IN THE NEWS:
A FAMILY VACATION GOES HORRIBLY WRONG
The images below were recovered from a cell phone found at Constellation Marine Reserve in West Seattle.
A check of the number turned up a Sandra A. Shrimp from Sitka Alaska as the phones owner. It is believed that the phone was lost during a tour of the beach.  Ms Shrimp remains missing.  Attempts to contact family members were unsuccessful. A check of Facebook and Twitter came up empty.  Investigators have concluded that this was likely a family vacation that went horribly wrong.

ARTISTIC SUNFLOWER STAR STUNS ART COMMUNITY!

Producing an endless variety of geometric art patters, a Sunflower Star at Alki beach has stunned the art community. Art critics and historians are scrambling to determine if this may be the original inspiration for Japanese Zen Gardens. When contacted SAM (Seattle Art Museum) dismissed the work amateurish and without merit. When asked to the respond to the SAM comment the Seastar stated..."These are the &*%*$^ that think Hammering Man is art!

 (2 photos)