Intertidal Animals

The intertidal zone, the area between the ocean and the land that regularly reveals itself as the twice daily tide moves to and from the shoreline, provides a home to many interesting animals.

Intertidal Species Beach Pictures Chiton Hermit Crab Jellyfish Limpets Sand Dollars Sea Anemones Sea Cucumber Sea Hare Sea Horses Sea Stars Sea Worms Spiny Lobster Striped Shore Crab

The types of animals present often depends on the tyes of intertidal zone, rocky or sandy. Sand dollars, for example, are found along sandy beaches at low tide and chiton are typically found on rocky beaches along the rocky intertidal zone.

Most of the animals listed here are not only found in the intertidal zone but they are also found throughout the ocean.

Using the more scientific term of phylum (large groups of animals organized by physical similarities), the animals here represent six of the most common animal phyla:

• Phylum: Mollusca - Mollusks (Chiton, Limpet, Sea Hare)
• Phylum Echinodermata - Echinoderms (Sea Cucumber, Sea Star, Sand Dollar)
• Phylum Arthropoda - Anthroods (Striped Shore Crab, Spiny Lobster, Hermit Crab)
• Phylum Chordata -Chordates (Seahorse)
• Phylum Cnidaria - Cnidarians (Jellyfish and Sea Anemone)
• Phylum Annelida - Annelids (Sea Worm)

Please click on any link to learn more about the specific animal.

© 2008 Patricia A. Michaels