List of animals of Long Island Sound

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)[edit]

Clathria prolifera (red beard sponge)
Cliona celata (boring sponge)^[1]
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)[edit]

Pleurobrachia pileus (sea gooseberry)

Jellyfishes (Cnidaria: Medusozoa)[edit]

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)[edit]

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

Sea Anemones (Cnidaria: Actiniaria)[edit]

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)[edit]

True Crabs (Decapoda: Brachyura)[edit]

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[edit]

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)[edit]

Squilla empusa = Atlantic Mantis Shrimp

Horseshoe crabs (Arthropoda: Xiphosura)[edit]

Limulus polyphemus (Atlantic horseshoe crab)

Cephalopods (Mollusca: Cephalopoda)[edit]

Illex illecebrosus (northern shortfin squid)
Loligo pealei (longfin inshore squid)

Gastropods (Mollusca: Gastropoda)[edit]

Littorinimorpha[edit]

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^[2]
Littorina littorea (common periwinkle; invasive species)
Littorina saxatilis = Rough Periwinkle

Neogastropoda[edit]

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[edit]

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

Bivalves (Mollusca: Bivalvia)[edit]

Pteriomorphia[edit]

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^[3]
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[edit]

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)[edit]

Sea Urchins (Echinoidea)[edit]

Sand dollar
Arbacia punctulata = Atlantic Purple Sea Urchin
Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis = Common Green Sea Urchin

Sea Cucumbers (Holothuroidea)[edit]

Sclerodactyla briareus = Hairy Sea Cucumber

Starfish (Asteroidea)[edit]

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)[edit]

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

Sea squirts (Chordata: Tunicata)[edit]

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

Cartilaginous fish (Chordata: Chondrichthyes)[edit]

Sharks (Selachimorpha)[edit]

Resident sharks[edit]

Carcharhinus leucas = Bull Shark
Carcharhinus plumbeus = Sandbar Shark
Mustelus canis = Dusky Smoothhound Shark / Smooth Dogfish
Odontaspis taurus = Sand Tiger Shark
Squalus acanthias = Spiny Dogfish

Vagrant sharks[edit]

Carcharhinus obscurus = Dusky Shark
Prionace glauca = Blue Shark
Sphyrna zygaena = Smooth Hammerhead Shark
Alopias vulpinus = Common Thresher Shark
Carcharodon carcharias = Great White Shark

Skates and rays (Batoidea)[edit]

Dasyatis centroura = Roughtail Stingray
Raja eglanteria = Clearnose Skate
Raja erinacea = Little Skate
Dipturus laevis = Barndoor Skate
Leucoraja ocellata = Winter Skate
Torpedo nobiliana = Atlantic torpedo
Rhinoptera bonasus = Cownose Ray

Bony Fish (Chordata: Osteichthyes)[edit]

Eels (Anguilliformes)[edit]

Anguilla rostrata (American eel)

Gadiformes[edit]

Enchelyopus cimbrius = Four-Bearded Rockling
Microgadus tomcod = Atlantic Tomcod
Urophycis chuss = Red Hake

Seahorses and pipefishes (Syngnathiformes)[edit]

Hippocampus erectus = Northern Lined Seahorse
Syngnathus fuscus = Northern Pipefish

Jacks (Carangiformes: Carangidae)[edit]

Caranx hippos = Crevalle Jack, Jack Crevalle, Common Jack
Caranx crysos = Blue Runner, Hardnose
Carangoides bartholomaei = Yellow Jack, Coolihoo
Chloroscombrus chrysurus = Atlantic Bumper

Flatfish (Pleuronectiformes)[edit]

Etropus microstomus = Smallmouth Flounder
Paralichthys dentatus = Fluke
Pleuronectes ferruginea = Yellowtail Flounder
Pseudopleuronectes americanus = Winter Flounder
Scophthalmus aquosus = Windowpane Flounder
Trinectes maculatus = Hogchoker

Scorpaeniformes[edit]

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)[edit]

Tautoga onitis = Blackfish, Tautog
Tautogolabrus adspersus = Cunner Wrasse, Bergall

Perciformes[edit]

Drums (Sciaenidae)[edit]

Cynoscion regalis = Weakfish, Seatrout
Menticirrhus saxatilis = Northern Kingfish, Northern Kingcroaker, Whiting
Sciaenops ocellatus = Red Drum, Redfish, Puppy Drum, Channel Bass, Red, Spottail Bass
Pogonias cromis = Black Drum, "Big Ugly", Drum, Drummer
Leiostomus xanthurus = Spot, Spot Croaker
Micropogonias undulatus = Atlantic Croaker

Other Perciformes[edit]

Centropristis striata = Black Sea Bass
Morone saxatilis = Striped Bass
Pholis gunnellus = Rock Gunnel
Pomatomus saltatrix = Bluefish
Stenotomus chrysops = Scup
Ulvaria subbifurcata = Radiated Shanny
Archosargus probatocephalus = Sheephead

Anglerfish (Lophiiformes)[edit]

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

Tetraodontiformes[edit]

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

Balistes capriscus = Grey Triggerfish
Chilomycterus schoepfii = Striped Burrfish
Mola mola = Ocean Sunfish
Sphoeroides maculatus = Northern Pufferfish
Stephanolepis hispidus = Planehead Filefish

Miscellaneous Percomorpha[edit]

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[edit]

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.

Balistes vetula = Queen triggerfish
Aluterus scriptus = Scrawled filefish
Acanthostracion quadricornis = Scrawled Cowfish
Histrio histrio = Sargassum fish
Megalops atlanticus = Atlantic tarpon
Scorpaena plumieri = Spotted Scorpionfish
Pomacanthus paru = French Angelfish
Holacanthus bermudensis = Bermuda Blue Angelfish
Hyporthodus niveatus = Snowy Grouper
Fistularia tabacaria = Bluespotted cornetfish
Chaetodon ocellatus = Spotfin Butterflyfish

References[edit]

^ Nicol, William L.; Reisman, Howard M. (1976). "Ecology of the Boring Sponge (Cliona celata) at Gardiner's Island, New York". Chesapeake Science. 17 (1): 1. doi:10.2307/1350571. ISSN 0009-3262. JSTOR 1350571.
^ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Neverita duplicata (Say, 1822)".
^ "Connecticut Sea Grant | UConn". seagrant.uconn.edu. Archived from the original on 2016-11-03. Retrieved 2016-12-13.