- J Mississippi Alabama Sea Grant Consortium MASGP - 79 - 004 Guide to Common Tidal Marsh Invertebrates of the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico by Richard W. Heard University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688 and Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, MS 39564* Illustrations by Linda B. Lutz This work is a result of research sponsored in part by the U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA, Office of Sea Grant, under Grant Nos. 04-S-MOl-92, NA79AA-D-00049, and NASIAA-D-00050, by the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Gram Consortium, by the University of South Alabama, by the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, and by the Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium. The U.S. Government is authorized to produce and distribute reprints for govern­ mental purposes notwithstanding any copyright notation that may appear hereon. • Present address. This Handbook is dedicated to WILL HOLMES friend and gentleman Copyright© 1982 by Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium and R. W. Heard All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without permission from the author. CONTENTS PREFACE . ....... .... ......... .... Family Mysidae. .. .. .. .. .. 27 Order Tanaidacea (Tanaids) . ..... .. 28 INTRODUCTION ........................ Family Paratanaidae.. .. .. .. 29 SALTMARSH INVERTEBRATES. .. .. .. 3 Family Apseudidae . .. .. .. .. 30 Order Cumacea. .. .. .. .. 30 Phylum Cnidaria (=Coelenterata) .. .. .. .. 3 Family Nannasticidae. .. .. 31 Class Anthozoa. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 Order Isopoda (Isopods) . .. .. .. 32 Family Edwardsiidae . .. .. .. .. 3 Family Anthuridae (Anthurids) . .. 32 Phylum Annelida (Annelids) . .. .. .. .. .. 3 Family Sphaeromidae (Sphaeromids) 32 Class Oligochaeta (Oligochaetes). .. .. .. 3 Family Munnidae . .. .. .. .. 34 Class Hirudinea (Leeches) . .. .. .. 4 Family Asellidae . .. .. .. .. 34 Class Polychaeta (polychaetes).. .. .. .. .. 4 Family Bopyridae . .. .. .. .. 35 Family Nereidae (Nereids). .. .. .. .. 4 Order Amphipoda (Amphipods) . ... 36 Family Pilargiidae (pilargiids). .. .. .. .. 6 Family Hyalidae . .. .. 36 . Family Orbiniidae (Orbiniids) . .. .. .. .. 6 Family Gammaridae . ....... 36 Family Capitellidae (Capitellids). .. .. .. 6 Family Melitidae .. .. .. .. .. 37 Family Ampharetidae (Ampharetids) .. .. 8 Family Aoridae. .. .. .. 38 Family Spionidae (Spionids) . .. .. .. .. 9 Family Corophiidae. .. .. .. .. 39 Family Sabellidae (Sabellids) . .. .. .. .. 9 Family Hyalellidae.. .. .. .. .. 40 Family SerpuJidae (Serpulids) . .. .. .. .. 9 Family Talitridae . .. .. .. .. 40 Phylum Mollusca (Mollusks) . .. .. .. .. 10 Superorder Eucarida . .. 44 Class Gastropoda (Gastropods). .. .. .. .. 10 Order Decapoda . .. 44 Family Neritidae (Nerites). .. .. .. .. 10 Suborder Dendrobranchiata. .. .. 44 . Family Hydrobiidae (Hydrobiids). .. .. 11 Infraorder Penaeidea .. .. .. 44 Family Assimineidae . .. .. .. .. .. 15 Family Penaeidae . .. .. 44 Family Potamidae . .. .. .. .. .. .. 16 Suborder Pleocyemata .. .. .. .. 46 Family Littorinidae (periwinkles) . .. .. .. 17 Infraorder Caridea. .. .. .. 46 Family Melongenidae (Whelks). .. .. .. 18 Family Palaemonidae Family Pyramidellidae (Pyram Shells) . .. .. 18 (palaemonid Shrimps) . .. 46 Family Melampidae (Melampid Snails). .. .. 19 Infraorder Anomura.. .. .. 46 Class Bivalvia (=Pelecypoda) (Bivalves) .. .. 20 Family Diogenidae . Family Corbiculidae (Marsh Clams). ..... 21 (Diogenid Hermit Crabs) .. 48 Family Mactridae . .. .. .. .. .. .. 21 Infraorder Brachyura (Crabs) .. 48 Family Mytilidae (Mussels) . .. .. .. .. 22 Family Portunidae Family Dressenidae . .. .. .. .. .. .. 22 (Swimming Crabs) . .. .. .. 48 Family Cyrenoididae .. .. .. .. .. .. 23 Family Xanthidae (Mud Crabs) 50 Family Solecurtidae. .. .. .. .. .. 24 Family Grapsidae . .. .. 54 . .. Family Ostreidae. .. .. .. .. .. .. 24 Family Ocypodidae ... 56 Phylum Arthropoda.. .. .. .. .. .. .. 25 Subphylum Crustacea. .. .. .. .. .. .. 26 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. .. .. '61 Class Cirrepedia. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 26 BIBLIOGRAPHY . .. .. .. .. .. 62 Order Thoracica . .. .. .. .. 26 Suborder Balanomorpha. .. .. .. .. 26 TAXONOMIC KEY S .. ... ... ... .... .. 66 Class Malacostraca. .. .. .. .. .. 27 GLOSSARY. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 78 Superorder Peracarida . .. .. .. 27 Order Mysidacea . .. .. .. .. .. 27 INDEX ................ ................ 81 ERRATA SHEET GUIDE TO COHHON TIDAL f1ARSH INVERTEBRATES �}HE NORTHEASTERN GUlF OF MEXICO CODE: Paaa/Column/Llne MASGP-79-004 1/1/30: "Ipoclalilt" to opacialiot. 3/1/13: "atolen" to atolon 6/1/6-7: Chanaa "Gardiner, 1977" to Gardiner and Wiloon, 1977 (1979) 9/2/fig. l"gend for 5f: change "Hypaniola" to Hobsonla 26/2/1: Correct spelling of "Cinepedia" to Cirripedia 26/2/8: Change "nsupl!" to n8upliar 27/2/2 from boeeom: Change "or" to of 27/2/12 from bottom: Change "figure 30f" to figure 30e 28/1/9: Change "figure 30e" to figur e 30f 29/fig. 30: Parts "e" and "f" are miBlabeled; they should be swapped 29/2/9: Change "antenna!! to antennae 32/2/2 from bottom: Should rea'd "ex tending anteriorly beyond eyes; inner" )/./1/4 from bottom: Insert Callahan in Clark and Robertson reference J4/2/11 from bottom: Chan ge obte.�,,- to �sus 37/2/4: Word left out of sentence. Add "mseromueronate" to end of line. 39/1/5 from bottom: Change "Myer" to Myer� 44/1/39: Delete extraneous line. IIldrval stages!! 47/f1g.51£ t bottom line: t:hsllKe IIkodlaken..!!;!." to kadlakensis 49/fig . 53: a - adult male refer. to left photograph, b - adule female refers to right photograph __ a • • • • ."_ "'o49/fig. 54 : upper left, b upper righe, c bottom left, d �ddle bottom, e • rigllt bottom -54/1/7:- C hango "chelae" to chela 54/1/15: Delaee ext ra "a" In Ma •• achusetts 60/1/4: Change "Me.hri" to Moshiri 65/2/reference: Change "W i lliams, 1976" to Williams, 1966. b61-couplet 13: Change "Leonereia" to Laenereis 70/couplee 3: Change fig. 67 to 68 70/couplet ��: Swap statements about uropods and pleopods to make it parallel with 5a; change f1g. 68 to 69. 70/couplet 6&: Add I'f" to fig . citation 70/couplet 7a : Change fig. 6-- to 68. 70/c ouple e lOa: Change "lIargar 1a" to lIa rger la 70/coupi-.rr-12a: ·-ellange fig; 3bb to 33b. 7J/couplet 14: Swap halve. of couplet 71/couplet 16: Swap halves of couplet 71/couplet 178: Second line, change. "outer ramus11 to inner ramus 71 /couplet ISb: Delete extra "rll 1n terebrana 1 1 7llcouplet 208: Change I�� I to ObtU8US 71/couplet 21: Swap halve. of couplet 71/couplet 23b: IIHH�rt comma aiter second antenna 71/cuupl�e 25: Swap halves of couplet 71/couplet 258: Change comma after setation to 8 semic olon 72/couple e 27: Swap halves of couplet 72/couplet 298: Change "�nneiE.£.!..d�sll to bonnieroides 72/couplee 30a: Change comma after broad to a semicolon 72/couplet 30b: Change comma after peduncle to a semicolon 1 72/couplet 36: Ch an ge I�l!banar1u�11 to clihanariuB 72/couplet 39: Change courtle to coarse 7 3/cou pl et �Ob: Chlitlge comma after entire to a semicolon 73/couplet 4lb: Insert comma a ft er �pine tl t 1t 73/couplet 428: Chtlnge 1 � to aztecus 73/coupl�t 43.: Change fig. 50g to 51g nlcoupl�t Io3b: Clla"ge fig. 50d tu 5ld 73/couplet 49: Swap halve. of couplet 74/couplct 54: Swap halves of cuuplet 74/couplf!t 55b: Change col01l to tH:�m1colon 74/couplct 57: Swap halve. of cuuplet 76/1 egend to fig. 70: ChanHc !lex. I coxa " to "ex., coxa" 79/2/8 eh & 9th defln1eiol1.: Chunge "pellial" to pall1al 1 PREFACE part of the estuarine "nursery grounds" for many fishes and invertebrates. Since the realization of the ecological and eco­ Salt marshes are formed along the shores of nomic importance of salt marshes, millions of dollars coastal plains in the temperate and tropical zones of in research funds have been allocated for the study of the world wherever wave action is slowed enough to these valuable and productive wetlands. Very little allow grasses to become established. They are found information, however, has been compiled for the in the intertidal zone in shallow water, in the lee of identification of marine and estuarine salt marsh in­ sea islands, along borders of bays and inlets, and vertebrates. Ursin (1972) and Olmstead and Fell along tidal streams, bayous, and the mouths of rivers. (1974) have published handbooks or guides to salt In the United States, an almost continuous band of marsh organisms, but both these guides are designed salt marshes fringes the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The for the temperate tidal marshes of the Atlantic coast. predominant grass in Atlantic coastal marshes is The only popular account of salt marsh invertebrates smooth cordgrass, Spartina alternij1ora. Tides along for our region is a guide by Fotheringham and Brun­ the Atlantic coast occur regularly twice a day and enmeister (1975)* to the common invertebrates of the have amplitudes of 4 to 8 feet (1.3 to 2.6 meters). northwestern Gulf Coast. Although their treatment is Conditions are different in the northern Gulf of Mex­ interesting, it is general and therefore limited in its ico where tides in most regions occur at irregular in­ treatment of tidal marsh invertebrates. Teal (1962), tervals and are much lower in amplitude than along in his paper on Georgia salt marshes, was the first to the Atlantic coast. Tides in the Gulf are usually no give an extensive list of salt marsh invertebrates. The higher than 1.5 feet (0.5 meters). Strong southerly most comprehensive faunal study of the salt marshes winds can "blow in the tide" during a normal low of the northern Gulf was that of Subrahmanyam et al tide, and strong northerly winds can "blow out the ( 1 976). They listed