Invertebrate Chess
A classic game of chess with a touch of marine biology! Each piece was crafted to model a different marine invertebrate found in the waters of Bamfield. From crabs to tunicates, the diversity you can see there is truly incredible.
At the very top, we have two different crab species – Hemigrapsus nudus (purple) and Cancer productus (red) representing the ‘king’ and ‘queen’. You can tell the king and queen apart by the abdomens, just like in real crabs. The king is represented by the male crab, distinguishable by the narrow and pointed flap on the abdomen, and the queen by the broader and rounder flap.
Following the crabs we have the nudibranchs representing the rooks. On the left is the Doris montereyensis, a gorgeous yellow nudibranch with cute black spots and on the right is Triopha catalinae, a vibrant nudibranch resembling its namesake, the Clown Dorid. Both feature a feathery rosette-like structure on the dorsal side called the external gills – fitting for the name nudibranch which means ‘naked gill’.
To the right of the nudis are the lovely sea anemones. Though the name may be hard to pronounce they are not hard to spot. Representing the knights is the Giant Green Anemone, Anthopleura xanthogrammica (on the left), and the aggregating anemone, Anthopleura elegantissima (on the right). Although they are staples of aquarium petting zoos these guys actually pack quite a punch! The slightest touch from its prey is enough to trigger its nematocysts, injecting it with paralyzing neurotoxins.
Repping the bishops on the bottom left image we have two species of sea stars, Dermasteria imbricata on the left, and Pisaster ochraceus on the right. These crawling critters move in an interesting way – through thousands of little feet located on the ventral side of the starfish.
Last but not least we have the tunicates representing the pawns! Covered by a firm layer called a tunic these soft-bodied invertebrates survive by filtering seawater through their two openings called siphons. A wide variety of tunicates are present along the coast of Bamfield. Some of these include the Long-Stalked tunicate, Styela montereyensis (left), Last but not least we have the tunicates! Covered by a firm layer called a tunic these soft-bodied invertebrates survive by filtering seawater through their two openings called siphons. A wide variety of tunicates are present along the coast of Bamfield. Some of these include the Long-Stalked tunicate, Styela montereyensis (left), Cnemidocarpa finmarkiensis (middle left), Taylor’s Social Tunicate, Metandrocarpa taylori (middle-right), and the Star Tunicate, Botryllus schlosseri (right).