Barnegat Bay Aquatic Invertebrates

Click on an image to expand it and view the species description. This page is sorted by phylum and class.

Please pardon our appearance as we update our website and add to our various species lists. If you have the perfect photo of an aquatic invertebrate listed on this page, send it to us at info@nrefnj.org! We’d love to feature your photo in our species compendium.

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Phylum Arthropoda

• Class Malacostraca (includes crabs, shrimps, lobsters, isopods, and amphipods)

  - Ampithoe longimana
  - Ampithoe valida
  - Acanthohaustorius millsi
  - Aeginina longicornis
  - Ameroculodes edwardsi
  - Ampelisca abdita
  - Ampelisca verrilli
  - Apocorophium acutum
  - Batea catharinensis
  - Caprella carina
  - Caprella penantis
  - Cerapus tubularis
  - Corophium volutator
  - Crassicorophium bonelli
  - Cymadeusa compta
  - Elasmpous levis
  - Eobrolgus spinosus
  - Ericthonius sp.
  - Gammarus mucronatus
  - Idunella barnardi
  - Idunella clymenellae
  - Lembos websteri
  - Leptocheirus plumulosus
  - Lysianopsis alba
  - Melita nitida
  - Microdeutopus anomalus
  - Microdeutopus gryllotalpa
  - Microprotopus raneyi
  - Monocorophium acherusicum
  - Monocorophium tuberculatum
  - Orchomenella pinguis
  - Paracaprella tenuis
  - Pleusymtes glaber
  - Uhlorchestia uhleri
  - Unciola irrorata
  - Diastylis sculpta
  - Oxyurostylis smithi
  - Achelous gibbesii - Iridescent swimming crab
  - Callinectes sapidus - Blue crab
  - Cancer borealis - Jonah crab
  - Cancer irroratus - Rock crab
  - Carcinus maenas - Green crab
  - Crangon septemspinosa - Sand crab
  - Dyspanopeus sayi - Small mud crab
  - Emerita talpoida - Mole crab
  - Eriocheir sinensis - Chinese mitten crab
  - Eurypanopus depressus - Flatback mud crab
  - Hemigrapsus sanguineus - Asian shore crab
  - Hippolyte zostericola - Grass shrimp
  - Libinia dubia - Longnose spider crab
  - Libinia emarginata - Common spider crab
  - Minuca pugnax - Mud fiddler crab
  - Ovalipes ocellatus - Lady crab
  - Pagurus longicarpus - Long-clawed hermit crab
  - Pagurus pollicaris - Flat-clawed hermit crab
  - Palaemon sp. - Grass shrimps
  - Panoeius herbstii - Black-fingered mud crab
  - Rathbunixa sayana
  - Rhithropanopeus harrisii
  - Tubicolixa chaetopterana - Tube pea crab
  - Cyathyra polita
  - Edotia triloba
  - Erichsonella filiformis
  - Idotea balthica - Baltic isopod
  - Politolana concharum
  - Americamysis bigelowi
  - Squilla empusa - Mantis shrimp
  - Chondrochelia savignyi

• Class Merostomata (horseshoe crabs)

  - Limulus polyphemus - Horseshoe crab

• Class Ostracoda (seed shrimps)

  - Halocyprididae sp.

• Class Pycnogonida (sea spiders)

  - Callipallene brevirostris

• Class Thecostraca (includes barnacles)

  - Amphibalanus eburneus - Acorn barnacle
  - Semibalanus balanoides - Rock barnacle

Phylum Annelida

• Class Polychaeta (segmented, bristly marine worms)

  - Alitta succinea
  - Alitta virens
  - Amastigos caperatus
  - Arenicola brasiliensis
  - Aonidella cirrobranchiata
  - Apoprionospio pygmaea
  - Capitella capitata
  - Circeis spirillum
  - Cirriformia grandis
  - Clymenella torquata
  - Clymenella zonalis
  - Diopatra cuprea
  - Eumida sanguinea
  - Eusyllis lamelligera
  - Exogone naidina
  - Glycera dibranchiata
  - Glycinde multidens
  - Goniada maculata
  - Harmothoe sp.
  - Heteromastus filiformis
  - Hobsonia florida
  - Hydroides dianthus
  - Hypereteone lactea
  - Janua heterostropha
  - Lepidonotus squamatus
  - Lepidonotus sublevis
  - Lumbrinerides acuta
  - Magelona rosea
  - Maldane sarsi
  - Neanthes arenaceodentata
  - Nephtys sp.
  - Notomastus latericeus
  - Orbiniidae sp.
  - Owenia fusiformis
  - Paradexiospira violacea
  - Paranaitis speciosa
  - Parapionosyllis longicirrata
  - Paraprionospio pinnata
  - Parasabella microphthalma
  - Pectinaria gouldii
  - Pherusa plumosa
  - Phyllodoce mucosa
  - Polydora cornuta
  - Polydora ligni
  - Prionospio heterobranchia
  - Prionospio steenstrupi
  - Sabaco elongatus
  - Sabellaria vulgaris
  - Salvatoria clavata
  - Scoletoma fragilis
  - Scoloplos sp,
  - Spio setosa
  - Spiochaetopterus costarum
  - Spiophanes bombyx
  - Spiophanes wigleyi
  - Spirorbis sp.
  - Streblospio benedicti
  - Syllides longocirratus
  - Tharyx acutus

Phylum Bryozoa

• Class Gymnolaemata (colonial, encrusting zooids)

  - Biflustra tenuis
  - Bowerbankia gracilis - Creeping bryozoan
  - Bugula neritina - Common bugula
  - Bugulina flabellata
  - Electra hastingsae
  - Membranipora membranacea - Cheliostome bryozoan
  - Schizoporella unicornis
  - Tricellaria inopinata

Phylum Chordata

• Class Ascidiacea (tunicates and sea squirts)

  - Botrylloides violaceus - Chain tunicate
  - Botryllus schlosseri - Golden star tunicate
  - Didemnum vexillum - Sea vomit
  - Molgula manhattensis - Sea grapes
  - Styela plicata - Pleated sea squirt

Phylum Cnidaria

• Class Hexacorallia (hexacorals, sea anemones)

  - Diadumene leucolena - Ghost anemone
  - Diadumene lineata - Orange-striped anenome

• Class Hydrozoa (jellyfish, predominantly in polyp form)

  - Clytia hemisphaerica
  - Gonionemus vertens - Clinging jelly
  - Moerisia sp.
  - Obelia sp.
  - Tritopsis nutricula - Immortal jelly

• Class Schyphozoa (jellyfish, predominantly in medusa form)

  - Aurelia aurita - Moon jelly
  - Chrysaora chesapeakei - Bay nettle
  - Chrysaora quinquecirrha - Atlantic sea nettle
  - Cyanea capillata - Lion's mane jelly

Phylum Ctenophora

• Class Nuda (comb jellies with no tentacles)

  - Beroe ovata - Brown comb jelly

• Class Tentaculata (comb jellies with contractile tentacles)

  - Mnemiopsis leidyi - Warty comb jelly
  - Pleurobrachia pileus - Sea gooseberry

Phylum Echinodermata

• Class Echinoidea (sea urchins, sand dollars)

  - Arbacia punctulata - Purple sea urchin

• Class Asteroidea (sea stars)

  - Asterias forbesi - Forbes sea star

• Class Holothuroidea (sea cucumbers)

  - Leptosynapta tenuis - Slender footless sea cucumber
  - Sclerodactyla briareus - hairy sea cucumber

Phylum Mollusca

• Class Bivalvia (clams, mussels, oysters, and other hinged, half-shelled molluscs)

  - Ameritella agilis - Northern dwarf-tellin
  - Anadara transversa
  - Anomia simplex - Jingle shell
  - Argopecten irradians - Bay scallop
  - Astarte undata
  - Bankia gouldi - Cupped shipworm
  - Crassostrea virginica - Eastern oyster
  - Ensis leei - Common razor clam
  - Gemma gemma
  - Geukensia demissa - Ribbed mussel
  - Kurtiella planulata
  - Lyonsia hyalina
  - Mercenaria mercenaria - Northern quahog
  - Mulinia lateralis
  - Mya arenaria - Softshell clam
  - Mytilus edulis - Blue mussel
  - Nucula proxima
  - Nuculana tenisulcata
  - Petricolaria pholadiformis - False angel wing
  - Pholas sp.
  - Semele proficua
  - Solemya velum
  - Spisula solidissima - Atlantic surf clam
  - Tagelus divisus
  - Teredo bartschi
  - Teredo furcifera
  - Teredo navalis

• Class Gastropoda (snails and slugs)

  - Acteocina canaliculata
  - Astyris lunata - Lunate dove shell
  - Bittiolum alternatum - Brown bittium
  - Boonea bisuturalis
  - Busycon canaliculatum - Channeled whelk
  - Busycon carica - Knobbed whelk
  - Cerithiopsis sp.
  - Corambe obscura
  - Cratena pilata - Striped nudibranch
  - Crepidula convexa
  - Crepidula fornicata - Slipper shell
  - Crepidula plana
  - Ercolania fuscata - Dusky sea slug
  - Ecrobia truncata
  - Ilyanassa obsoleta - Eastern mudsnail
  - Ilyanassa trivittata
  - Ittibittium oryza
  - Japonactaeon punctostriatus
  - Littorina littorea - Common periwinkle
  - Melampus bidentatus - Coffee bean snail
  - family Naticidae - Moon snail
  - Nucella lapillus - Dog whelk
  - Tenellia adspersa - Miniature aeolis
  - Turbonilla interrupta
  - Urosalpinx cinerea - Atlantic oyster drill

Phylum Nemertea

• Class Pilidiophora (unsegmented ribbon worms)

  - Cerebratulus lacteus - Milky ribbon worm

Phylum Platyhelminthes

• Class Platyhelminthes (flatworms)

  - Euplana gracilis - Slender flatworm
  - Stylochus ellipticus - Oyster flatworm

Phylum Porifera

• Class Demospongiae (siliceous sea sponges)

  - Halichondria bowerbanki - Yellow sun sponge
  - Haliclona canaliculata - Mermaid's glove
  - Cliona celata - Boring sponge
  - Haliclona oculata - Finger sponge
  - Clathria prolifera - Red beard sponge

• Sources

  Able, K., Jivoff, P., Grothues, T. M., Hagan, R., Belton, T., Ferko, M., Ruppel, B., Buchanan, G., Muffley, B. (2013). Assessment of Fish and Crab Responses to Human Alteration in Barnegat Bay. https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3JM2CFD

  Arbeit, S., Seay, K., Yakes, V., Bay, S. B., & Grant, M. M. S. (2024). 2024 Sedge Island Marine Conservation Zone Biological Survey.

  Bologna, P. A. X., Gaynor, J. J., Barry, C. L., & Restaino, D. J. (2017). Top-Down Impacts of Sea Nettles (Chrysaora quinquecirrha) on Pelagic Community Structure in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, U.S.A., Journal of Coastal Research 78(sp1), 193-204. https://doi.org/10.2112/SI78-015.1

  Bunn, L. (2021). Documenting the Settlement of Chrysaora chesapeakei and Other Organisms on Vinyl Bulkheads in Barnegat Bay, NJ.

  Dowhan, J., Halavik, T., Milliken, A., MacLachlan, A., Caplis, M., Lima, K., Zimba, A. (1997). Barnegat Bay Complex List of Species of Special Emphasis. Significant Habitats and Habitat Complexes of the New York Bight Watershed. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0034/0071981/1.1/data/0-data/disc_contents/web_link/tables/bba_tab.htm

  Fofonoff PW, Ruiz GM, Steves B, Simkanin C, & Carlton JT. 2018. National Exotic Marine and Estuarine Species Information System. https://invasions.si.edu/nemesis.

  Gosner, K. L. (1978). A Field Guide to the Atlantic Seashore. Houghton Mifflin Company.

  Herterich, J. (2025). Fouling Community Assessment on Anthropogenic Structures in Barnegat Bay, NJ: Who's Fouling with our Lagoons?. Montclair State University

  Kennish, M. J., & Loveland, R. E. (1984). Trophic relationships. Ecology of Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, 6, 302-317.

  Kennish, M. J. (Ed.). (2001). The Scientific Characterization of the Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor Estuary and Watershed. Barnegat Bay Estuary Program.

  Maguire, K. (2022). Spatial Distribution and Recruitment of the Botrylloides violaceus and Botryllus schlosseri Tunicates in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey.

  Meixler, M. S., Kennish, M. J., & Sakowicz, G. P. (2019). Long-term epifaunal community assessment in estuarine waters of New Jersey. Bulletin of the New Jersey Academy of Science, 63, 9-17.

  Meredith, R. W., Gaynor, J. J., & Bologna, P. A. (2016). Diet assessment of the Atlantic Sea Nettle Chrysaora quinquecirrha in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, using next‐generation sequencing. Molecular Ecology, 25(24), 6248-6266.

  Mountford, K. (1980). Occurrence and predation by Mnemiopsis leidyi in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey. Estuarine and Coastal Marine Science, 10(4), 393-402.

  Peterson, C. H. (1979). The importance of predation and competition in organizing the intertidal epifaunal communities of Barnegat Inlet, New Jersey. Oecologia, 39(1), 1-24.

  Polchowska, D. (2024). Value of Macroalgae as Habitat in a Eutrophic Coastal Bay.

  Shell, R. (2018). Benthic Invertebrate Communities of Barnegat Bay New Jersey: Effects of Hard-Clam (Mercenaria mercenaria L.) Aquaculture Grow-Outs on Benthic Communities. Montclair State University.