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)

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)

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)

Limulus polyphemus (Atlantic horseshoe crab)

Cephalopods (Mollusca: Cephalopoda)

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

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^[2]
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^[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

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)

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

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

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

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)

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)

Eels (Anguilliformes)

Anguilla rostrata (American eel)

Gadiformes

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

Seahorses and pipefishes (Syngnathiformes)

Hippocampus erectus = Northern Lined Seahorse
Syngnathus fuscus = Northern Pipefish

Jacks (Carangiformes: Carangidae)

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

Flatfish (Pleuronectiformes)

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

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)

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

Perciformes

Drums (Sciaenidae)

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

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)

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.

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

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.

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

^ 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. Bibcode:1976CpkSc..17....1N. 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.