List of animals of Long Island Sound

Long Island Sound is a large marine estuary in the Northeastern United States. It forms the border between New York's Long Island and Connecticut. It is diverse and serves as a breeding ground. Many species live there.

Tunicates

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

Sponges

Clathria prolifera = Red Beard Sponge
Halichondria panicea = Breadcrumb Sponge
Halichondria bowerbanki = Common Breadcrumb Sponge
Haliclona loosanoffi = Erect Sponge
Haliclona oculata = Dead Man's Fingers, Mermaid's Glove
Isodictya palmata = Finger Sponge
Polymastia robusta

Corals

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

Sea Anemones

Ceriantheopsis americana = American Striped Burrowing Anemone (invasive species; native to the Pacific Ocean)
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

"Jellies"

Aurelia aurita = Moon Jelly
Chrysaora quinquecirrha = Sea Nettle
Cyanea capillata = Lion's Mane Jellyfish
Physalia physalis = Portuguese Man of War
Pleurobrachia pileus = Sea Gooseberry

Echinoderms

Sand dollar
Arbacia punctulata = Atlantic Purple Sea Urchin
Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis = Common Green Sea Urchin
Crossaster papposus = Spiny Sunstar
Solaster endeca = Purple Sunstar
Hippasteria phrygiana = Horse Star
Leptasterias tenera = Slender Seastar
Asterias vulgaris = Northern Seastar
Asterias forbesi = Common Seastar
Pteraster militaris = Winged Sea Star
Henricia sanguinolenta = Blood Star
Gorgonocephalus arcticus = Northern Basketstar
Ophioderma Brevispinum = Shortspined Brittlestar
Ophiopholis Aculeata = Daisy Brittlestar
Amphioplus abditus = Burrowing Brittlestar
Axiognathus squamata = Little Brittlestar
Sclerodactyla briareus = Hairy Sea Cucumber

Gastropods

Buccinum undatum = Waved Whelk
Busycon carica = Knobbed Whelk
Busycotypus canaliculatus = Channeled Whelk
Cerithiopsis greenii = Green's Cerith
Crepidula fornicata = Common Slipper Shell Snail
Crepidula plana = Eastern White Slipper Shell
Eupleura caudata = Thick-lip Drill
Euspira heros = Northern Moonsnail
Euspira triseriata = Spotted Moonsnail
Ilyanassa obsoleta = Eastern Mudsnail
Ilyanassa trivittata = Threeline Mudsnail
Kurtziella cerina = Wax-Colored Mangelia
Littorina littorea = Common Periwinkle (invasive species; native to the European coast)
Littorina saxatilis = Rough Periwinkle
Mitrella lunata = Lunar Dovesnail
Nucella lapillus = Atlantic Dogwinkle
Phrontis vibex = Bruised Nassa
Retilaskeya emersonii = Awl Cerith
Seila adamsii = Adam's Cerith
Urosalpinx cinerea = Atlantic Oyster Drill

Cephalopods

Illex illecebrosus = Northern Shortfin Squid
Loligo pealei = Longfin Inshore Squid

Arthropods

Limulus polyphemus = Atlantic Horseshoe Crab

Bivalves

Anadara transversa = Transverse Ark
Anadara ovalis = Blood Ark
Anomia simplex = Jingle Shell
Arctica islandica = Ocean Quahog
Argopecten irradians = Bay Scallop
Astarte undata = Wavy Astarte
Astarte castanea = Smooth Astarte
Crassostrea virginica = Eastern Oyster
Ensis directus = Atlantic Jackknife / Razor Clam
Geukensia demissa = Ribbed Mussel
Mercenaria mercenaria = Northern Quahog / Hardshell Clam
Modiolus modiolus = Northern Horsemussel
Mulinia lateralis = Dwarf Surf Clam
Mya arenaria = Softshell Clam
Mytilus edulis = Blue Mussel
Ostrea edulis = European Flat Oyster[1]
Placopecten magellanicus = Sea Scallop
Petricola pholadiformis = False Angelwing
Pitar morrhuanus = False Quahog
Spisula solidissima = Atlantic Surf Clam

Crustaceans

Callinectes sapidus = Atlantic Blue Crab
Cancer borealis = Jonah Crab
Cancer irroratus = Atlantic Rock Crab
Carcinus maenas = European Green Crab (invasive species)
Hemigrapsus sanguineus = Asian Shore Crab (invasive species)
Libinia emarginata = Common Spider Crab
Pagurus longicarpus = Long-Wrist Hermit Crab
Pagurus pollicaris = Flatclaw Hermit Crab
Sesarma reticulatum = Marsh Crab
Uca pugnax = Atlantic Marsh Fiddler Crab
Uca pugilator = Atlantic Sand Fiddler Crab
Pelia Mutica = Cryptic Teardrop Crab
Libinia dubia = Longnose Spider Crab
Ovalipes ocellatus = Lady Crab
Homarus americanus = American Lobster
Squilla empusa = Atlantic Mantis Shrimp
Crangon septemspinosa = Seven-Spined Sand Shrimp
Gilvossius setimanus = Ghost Shrimp
Palaemonetes pugio = Daggerblade Grass Shrimp
Upogebia affinis = Coastal Mud Shrimp

Sharks

Resident Sharks

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

Visitor Sharks

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

Skates and Rays

Dasyatis centroura = Roughtail Stingray
Raja eglanteria = Clearnose Skate
Raja erinacea = Little Skate
Raja laevis = Barndoor Skate
Raja ocellata = Winter Skate

Bony Fish (Osteichthyes)

Anglerfish

Dibranchus atlanticus = Atlantic Batfish
Lophius americanus = American Anglerfish

Flatfish

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

Gadiforms

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

Scorpaeniforms

Hemitripterus americanus = Atlantic Sea Raven
Myoxocephalus aenaeus = Grubby Sculpin
Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus = Longhorn Sculpin
Prionotus carolinus = Northern Sea Robin
Pterois volitans = Red Lionfish (invasive species)

Syngnathids

Hippocampus erectus = Northern Lined Seahorse
Syngnathus fuscus = Northern Pipefish

Tetraodontiforms

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

Wrasses

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

Drums

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

Jacks

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

Other Fish

Ammodytes americanus = American Sand Lance
Anguilla rostrata = American Eel
Apeltes quadracus = Four-Spined Stickleback (found in fresh and brackish water)
Centropristis striata = Black Sea Bass
Fundulus majalis = Striped Killifish
Menidia menidia = Atlantic Silverside
Morone saxatilis = Striped Bass
Opsanus tau = Oyster Toadfish
Pholis gunnellus = Rock Gunnel
Pomatomus saltatrix = Bluefish
Stenotomus chrysops = Scup
Ulvaria subbifurcata = Radiated Shanny
Peprilus triacanthus = Atlantic Butterfish, American Butterfish

References

"Connecticut Sea Grant | UConn". seagrant.uconn.edu. Archived from the original on 2016-11-03. Retrieved 2016-12-13.