Clean Ocean Advocate, February 2009
COASTAL CREATURE FEATURE
The December creature feature was the amethyst gem clam. This tiny bivalve is found in sediments from intertidal waters to depths of 6 meters (or about 20 feet). They live up to three years and may reproduce in the spring and fall. Water fowl, snails, crustaceans (i.e., amphipods, crabs, shrimp), and some cnidarians (i.e., sea anemones, hydrozoa) all feed on the gem clam. Judge Jewel B. Valve congratulates the contest winner, Douglas Lopez of Keyport, NJ, for his correct guess!
February’s creature feature is a popular panfish that is commonly found from Cape Hatteras to Cape Cod. The fish can weigh as much as 3.3 pounds and has an average lifespan of 15 years. The fish is a bottom feeder that eats small crustaceans, worms, and molluscs. For a chance to win a COA T-shirt, submit your guess (one entry per person) to Judge Mac Kerel by mail or fax (18 Hartshorne Dr., Suite 2, Highlands, NJ 07732; 732-872-8041), or using the online form below. Winner to be announced in the April newsletter.
(Coastal Creature Feature appears every other month in the Clean Ocean Advocate.)
PLEASE NOTE: Please only complete and send the following online form ONCE. After clicking "Here's my guess," a new window will appear saying "Thank you for your input!" Your form has been submitted and received; please do not click "Here's my guess" or fill out the form again. The page will reload/refresh.
