Santa Rosa_Navarre Beach_Seashore Life509001-2_template-Custom (for trade) 10/1/15 1:29 PM Page 1

BEACH SAFETY TIPS A POCKET NATURALIST® GUIDE JELLYFISH NEARSHORE NEARSHORE FISHES WASHED AHORE NAVARRELIFE SEASHORE BEACH • Know and understand the beach warning flags. • Swim near a lifeguard station and follow lifeguard directions. • Never swim alone. • Supervise children closely, even when lifeguards are present. NAVARRE BEACH • Alcohol and swimming don’t mix. Rachycentron canadum To 7 ft. (2.1 m) Gulf Menhaden First dorsal fin consists of 8 spines. Brevoortia patronus Atlantic Croaker • During thunderstorms, move inside to a building or vehicle. Florida Pompano To 18 in. (46 cm) Micropogonias undulatus SEASHORE LIFE Trachinotus carolinus To 2 ft. (60 cm) Sand Dollar • Educate yourself and family on rip currents. If caught in a rip To 14 in. (35 cm) To 3 in. (8 cm) current, swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current. White, shell-like ‘skeletons’ Moon Jellyfish Stony Corals often wash up on shore. Aurelia aurita Remora or Sharksucker To 8 ft. (2.4 m) tall. Leaving No Trace - Protecting Sea Turtles A Folding Pocket Guide To 16 in. (40 cm) Common Lion’s Mane Echeneis naucrates To 3 ft. (90 cm) Commonly washed Jellyfish and Shorebirds at Navarre Beach: Portuguese Comb Jellyfish Suction disk on top of head allows it to Familiar Species up on beaches after Mnemiopsis spp. Cyanea capillata to attach itself to other fishes, like • Do not leave any chairs, umbrellas, blankets, etc. on the beach Man-of-War storms. To 5 in. (13 cm) To 8 ft. (2.4 m) sharks, and feed on their food scraps. when you leave. This will allow sea turtles to move up or down Physalia physalis Note large size. To 5 in. (13 cm) wide the beach freely. Sheepshead Tarpon Archosargus • Each night, fill in any large holes dug in the sand during the day. Megalops atlanticus To 8 ft. (2.4 m) probatocephalus Spadefish These holes could trap nesting females or hatchlings. Huge has large scales. To 3 ft. (90 cm) Chaetodipterus faber Body has 5-6 dark To 3 ft. (90 cm) • Remove and properly dispose of any trash. vertical bars. Distinguished by its Marine Worm • Protect the dunes by using designated boardwalks and walk- long second dorsal Tubes Cownose Ray and anal fin. To 8 in. (20 cm) Skate Egg Hardhead throughs. Dunes block artificial light and provide a nesting habitat – A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar Species Familiar to Guide Pocket Folding A – Pigfish Rhinoptera bonasus Case Catfish Skull for turtles. By-the-wind Sailor To 3 ft. (90 cm) wide. Velella velella Orthopristis chrysoptera • Turn off bright lights that can be seen from the beach to help sea To 15 in. (38 cm) Cannonball To 3 in. (8 cm) turtles and wildlife. Small crest on upper Gulf Whiting (Gulf Kingfish) CRUSTACEANS, ETC. Jellyfish surface acts as a sail. Menticirrhus littoralis Sea Nettle Stomolophus meleagris To 20 in. (50 cm) Each spring, shorebirds nest and raise their young on our beaches. Chrysaora To 7 in. (18 cm) quinquecirrha Many of these birds frequent the road and shoulders to feed on To 10 in. (25 cm) insects. Some fly low over the road to defend their nests from Atlantic Atlantic Stingray humans. To ensure their safety, please obey all posted speed limits. Sharpnose Shark NEARSHORE FISHES Dasyatis sabina Rhizoprionodon terraenovae To 2 ft. (60 cm) wide. To 4 ft. (1.2 m) Ghost Crab Pinfish Tail spine is venomous. Ocypode quadrata Bluefish Lagodon rhomboides Note small size. To 2 in. (5 cm) Pomatomus saltatrix To 16 in. (40 cm) To 43 in. (1.1 m) Hermit Crab Short first dorsal fin has 7-8 spines. Clibanarius vittatus Bull Shark To 1.3 in. (3.6 cm) Carcharhinus leucas Lives inside empty To 11 ft. (3.3 m) seashells. Spanish Mackerel One of the only sharks to Greater Amberjack thrive in both salt- and Seriola dumerili To 6 ft. (1.8 m) Scomberomorus maculatus Mole Crab Lady Fish/Skip Jack freshwater habitats. Emerita talpoida Note dark stripe from snout through To 3 ft. (90 cm) Has large yellow side streaks. Elops saurus To 3 ft. (90 cm) To 1 in. (2.5 cm) eye toward dorsal fin. Silvery fish has dorsal fin originating Blacktip Shark Lateral line dips evenly downward Hardhead Catfish Santa Rosa County under second dorsal fin. behind pelvic fin. Carcharhinus limbatus Tourist Development Office Arius felis To 2 ft. (60 cm) To 8 ft. (2.4 m) Has four prominent chin barbels. 8543 Navarre Parkway Pelvic fin is always black- Navarre, FL 32566 tipped. Other fins may also be black-tipped. (850) 981-8900 Lady Crab FloridasPlayground.com King Mackerel Blue Crab Persephona Callinectes sapidus facebook.com/floridasplayground Scomberomorus cavalla To 5 ft. (1.5 m) Nurse Shark mediterranea Bonito Ginglymostoma cirratum To 9 in. (23 cm) Blue above, silvery below. Mullet To 3 in. (8 cm) Lateral line dips sharply. Euthynnus alletteratus To 4 ft. (1.2 m) To 18 ft. (5.4 m) Grey tuna has wavy bars on its back. Mugil spp. To 18 in. (45 cm) Bottom-dweller has two Most illustrations show the adult male in breeding coloration. Colors and markings may Red Fish dorsal fins and be duller or absent during different seasons. The measurements denote the length of Sciaenops ocellatus To 5 ft. (1.5 m) prominent nostril Fiddler Crab Uca spp. most species from nose/bill to tail tip. Illustrations are not to scale. Note black spot at base of tail fin. whiskers (barbels). To 1.5 in. (4 cm) Waterford Press produces reference guides that introduce novices to nature, science, travel and languages. Product information and hundreds of educational games are featured on the website: www.waterfordpress.com Hammerhead Shark Sphyrna mokarran Text and illustrations copyright © 2015 Made in To 20 ft. (6 m) by Waterford Press Inc. All rights reserved. the USA Cover images copyright © 2015 Santa Rosa County. To order, call 800-434-2555. For permissions, 978-1-62005-180-1 Black Drum Striped Burrfish Grey Snapper Bonnethead Shark To 3 in. (8 cm) or to share comments, e-mail editor@ ISBN Pogonias cromis To 6 ft. (1.8 m) Gulf waterfordpress.com. For information Paralichthys albigutta Chilomycterus schoepfi Lutjanus griseus To 3 ft. (90 cm) Sphyrna tiburo To 5 ft. (1.5 m) Spider Crab Grows in clusters Has prominent chin barbels. Has a flat, spade-like head. on rocks and piers. on custom-published products, call 800- To 17 in. (43 cm) To 10 in. (25 cm) Libinia spp. 434-2555 or e-mail [email protected]. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 509001 To 4 in. (10 cm) Santa Rosa_Navarre Beach_Seashore Life509001-2_template-Custom (for trade) 10/1/15 1:30 PM Page 2

SHELLS SHELLS BIRDS BIRDS BIRDS SEA TURTLES

Sunray Venus Least Tern Macrocallista nimbosa Sterna antillarum Sanderling Green Sea Turtle Florida Rocksnail Jingle Shell Double-crested Mallard Green-winged Teal Loggerhead Chelonia mydas To 5 ft. (1.5 m) To 5 in. (13 cm) Stramonita haemastoma To 10 in. (25 cm) Osprey Calidris alba Anomia ephippium Anas platyrhynchos Anas crecca To 15 in. (38 cm) Caretta caretta To 4 ft. (1.2 m) Heart-shaped shell is brown, grey, Slipper Snail Cormorant Note small size and Pandion haliaetus To 8 in. (20 cm) To 5 in. (13 cm) To 2.5 in. (6 cm) To 28 in. (70 cm) Shell is streamlined. greenish or black. Crepidula fornicata Phalacrocorax auritus yellow bill. To 2 ft. (60 cm) Runs in and out with To 2 in. (5 cm) To 3 ft. (90 cm) Fish-eating raptor. waves along shorelines. Note orange-yellow facial skin. Black Skimmer Rynchops niger To 20 in. (50 cm) Giant Cockle Feeds by skimming Dinocardium robustum over water with its Muscovy Duck To 5 in. (13 cm) Scallop lower bill cutting the water’s surface American Coot Cairina moschata Argopecten irradians To 32 in. (80 cm) To 3 in. (8 cm) to spear fish. Fulica americana Leatherback To 16 in. (40 cm) Note ‘warty’ facial skin. Non-native. Kemp’s Ridley Dermochelys coriacea To 7 ft. (2.1 m) Cross-barred Venus Lepidochelys kempi To 30 in. (75 cm) Chione elevata Ark Shells Black-bellied Plover Piping Plover To 2 in. (5 cm) Anadara spp. Sandwich Tern Pluvialis squatarola Charadrius melodus MARINE MAMMALS Thick-shelled clam has To 3 in. (8 cm) Sterna sandvicensis To 14 in. (35 cm) To 7 in. (18 cm) prominent raised Coquina Clam Royal Tern To 18 in. (45 cm) concentric ridges. Donax variabilis Sterna maxima Black bill has a yellow tip. Hawksbill Lightning Whelk To .75 in. (2 cm) To 20 in. (50 cm) Willet Eretmochelys imbricata Busycon carica Color is variable. To 3 ft. (90 cm) Calico Clam Catoptrophorus To 9 in. (23 cm) semipalmatus Macrocallista maculata Note prominent To 3.5 in. (9 cm) To 17 in. (43 cm) knobs on spire. Wings flash black- and-white in flight. Lettered Olive Bottlenosed Dolphin BEACH WARNING FLAGS Oliva sayana Common Tern Tursiops truncatus To 12 ft. (3.6 m) To 2.5 in. (6 cm) Sterna hirundo Marks on shell To 15 in. (38 cm) Semipalmated Manatee resemble lettering. Note black cap and Trichechus manatus Brown Plover To 11.5 ft. (3.5 m) Pelecanus occidentalis forked tail. Orange Charadrius semipalmatus Oyster To 50 in. (1.3 m) bill is black-tipped. To 8 in. (20 cm) Snowy Plover Crassostrea virginica Surf Clam Note single breast band. Charadrius nivosus REPTILES To 10 in. (25 cm) To 7 in. (18 cm) To 6 in. (15 cm) Tulip Shell Fasciolaria spp. Shark Eye Oyster To 10 in. (25 cm) Great Blue Long-billed Neverita duplicata Drill Snail Heron Dowitcher To 3 in. (8 cm) high Urosalpinx perrugata Ardea herodias Limnodromus scolopaceus Dome-shaped shell is To 1.25 in. (3.6 cm) Common To 4.5 ft. (1.4 m) To 12 in. (30 cm) bluish- to brownish- Feeds primarily American Auger Great Egret Feeds along shorelines grey. Feeds on on oysters. Terebra dislocata Ardea alba by poking its bill in and bivalves. To 2 in. (5 cm) To 38 in. (95 cm) out of the sand in a Note yellow bill sewing machine motion. Diamond-backed Terrapin Gopher Tortoise and black feet. Laughing Gull Killdeer Malaclemys terrapin To 9 in. (23 cm) Gopherus polyphemus To 14 in. (35 cm) Dosina Leucophaeus atricilla Charadrius vociferus Shell segments are deeply ridged. Domed shell has deep ridges. Crown Conch Dosinia spp To 18 in. (45 cm) To 12 in. (30 cm) Melongena corona Green Heron To 3 in. (8 cm) Butorides virescens Note black head. Very Note two breast bands. To 5 in. (13 cm) Nearly circular, To 22 in. (55 cm) common coastal species. flattened shell.

Scotch Bonnet Phalium granulatum Winter To 4 in. (10 cm) Imperial Venus Quahog Reddish Egret Chione latilirata Mercenaria mercenaria Egretta rufescens American Alligator To 1.5 in. (4 cm) To 5 in. (13 cm) To 30 in. (75 cm) Snowy Egret Summer Alligator mississippiensis Found in mud Common Shell has large Egretta thula Northern Common Loon To 20 ft. (6 m) concentric ridges. near low tide mark. Fighting Conch Egg Cockle To 26 in. (65 cm) Mockingbird Gavia immer To 3 ft. (90 cm) Box Turtle Strombus alatus Haunting call sounds like – Laevicardium laevigatum Note black bill Mimus polyglottos Terrapene carolina bauri To 4 in. (10 cm) yodel-ha-oo-oo. To 3 in. (8 cm) and yellow feet. To 11 in. (28 cm) To 9 in. (23 cm)