Vosnesensky's Isopod

Idotea wosnesenskii

This isopod species is normally found among seaweeds and was observed this field season along the coasts of Friday Harbor and the Olympic Peninsula. It is often difficult to spot, its true color being more clear then the green represented in this image. It was typically found in Ulva spp.

Note the similarities to the Armidilidae spp. more commonly referred to as the pill bug.

Gaper Pea Crab

Pinnixa littoralis

This tiny decapod makes its living within the shell of larger bivalves, most notably the Pacific Fat Gaper, Tresus capax. This specimine was photographed at Willapa Bay, a sit known for its sandy substrate and wealth of clams. Almost every large clam sampled (either directly or through poor "clam gun" techniques) contained Pinnixa.

This female represents the larger of the species which reside in heterosexual pairs within the clam's shell.

Longhorn Decorator Crab

Chorilia longipes

What makes this species so unusual is its habitat. It resides in deep water (> 100m) and was only sampled through dredging at the UW Friday Harbor Lab. The dredge was run along a vertical, rocky outcrop approximately 250m below the surface. Substrate samppled with the dredge indicated large rocks and shell detritus.

This species was confused with the Origonia spp. until further examination revealed a lack of leg hairs and presence of carapice horns.