Invertebrates
Giant Clam
Mollusks | https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/giant-clam
| Giant Clam | Description |
|---|---|
 | Giant Clam |
| Nudibranchs in Fiji | Description | |
 | Blue Angel - (Glaucus atlanticus) | |
 | Faithful Sea Slug - (Chromodoris fidelis) | |
 | Halgerda Carlsoni | |
 | Loch s - (Chromodoris lochi) | |
 | Sea Slug - (Phylidia bourguini) | |
 | Spanish-Dancer - (Hexabranchus-sanguineus) | |
| Corals of Fiji | Description | |
 | Pocillopora verrucosa – This hard coral is also present in a wide range of habitats. It is common in the shallow waters of the lagoon and reflect, but occurs as thickly branched colonies in the wave affected areas of the reef slope. Colonies are characterised by branches with small protuberances (verrucae) on them. The branches are thicker and more compact where there is wave action, with a more open appearance in protected areas such as lagooons. | |
 | Favia rotumana – This species was first described from an early expedition to Fiji. It was hard coral found on the upper reef slopes and in the pools on the flat reef. Its growth form is messy and usually hemispherical or rounded. The corallites are irregular in shape, with the polyps often containing more than one centre or mouth. Its robust growth form makes it resistant to wave action. Tolerance of the environmental variation (turbidity, temperature and salinity fluctuations) in the shallow reef flat zone allows the colonisation of a variety of reef habitats. | |
 | Sinularia sp. – This is soft coral. They can be distinguished from hard corals by their large fleshy colonies, which are soft or leathery in nature without a rock-like skeleton. The living polyp has eight tentacles (Octocorals), for feeding, whereas the hard corals have six or multiples of six (Hexacorals). They are common on the back reef margin of the barrier and inshore on fringing reefs where there is a silt or turbid environment. They are the dominant organism on some reefs, completely covering large areas to the exclusion of all else. | |
 | Dendronephthya sp. – This is the most colourful of soft corals appearing as iridescent reds, pinks and yellows. Their bright colour is due, in part, to the lack of the small, unicellular algae which live in the tissues of most hard and soft corals. As a consequence, the preferred habitat is deeper water, in shaded areas under overhangs and the entrance to caves. They occur on offshore reefs where there is clear water and good circulation. The colonies from branching tree-life colonies where the polyps are borne on the end of the branches. They have prominent skeletal spicules or sclerites which provide defence and give the colony a spiky appearance. | |
| Fijian Lobster | Descriptions | #colspan# |
|---|---|---|
 | Golden Rock Lobster - (Panulirus penicillatus) - Small, black and red found mostly on the ocean side of coral reefs, and known for its tough carapace. | |
 | Painted Rock Lobster - (P. versicolor) - The most colourful, found mostly in coral patches and is essentially dark green, with narrow black and white stripes, and long antennae which are red at the base. | |
 | Whiskered Lobster - (P. longipipes femoristriga) | |
 | Ornate Rock Lobster - (P. ornatus) - Large light blue, which has black and white striped legs and antennae, prefers a quieter lagoon habitat. | |
 | Mana Mangrove Mud-Lobster - (Thalassina anomala) | |
 | Blue Spiny Lobster - (Panulirus versicolor) | |
| No Image | Slipper Lobster - (Parribacus caledonicus) | |
| Common Name | Shallow Water Marine Prawns | Local Name | Scientific Name |
|---|---|---|
| Giant tiger prawn | urakeirasaga | Penaeus monodon |
| Witch prawn | uranicakau | P. canaliculatus |
| Green tiger prawn | P. semisulcatus | |
| Western king prawn | P. latisulcatus | |
| Greasy prawn | Metapenaeus anchistus M. elegans | |
| Banana prawns | P. merguinsis |
| Common Name | Shrimps | Local Name | Scientific Name |
|---|---|---|
| Pyjama shrimp | Parapandalus serratifrons | |
| Striped soldier shrimp | Plesionika edwardsii | |
| Striped gladiator shrimp | P. ensis | |
| Armed nylon shrimp | Heterocarpus ensifer | |
| Mino nylon shrimp | H. sibogae | |
| Mino nylon shrimp | H. gibosus | |
| Smooth nylon shrimp | H. laevigatus |
| Edible Molluscs | Bivale | Fijian Name | Scientific Name |
|---|---|---|
| Jewel-box shell | bu, su sobu | Chama sp. |
| Arkshell | kaikoso, qeqe | Anadara cornea |
| Hardshell Clam | kaidawa, kaibakoko | Periglypta puerperal |
| Venus Shell | kaitakadiri, qaqa | Gafrarium tumidum |
| Littleneck Clam | kaivdra | Tapes literata |
| Coconut Scraper Cockle | kaininiu, sakaro | Vasticardium sp. |
| Smooth Giant Clam | vasuadina, matau | Tridacna derasa |
| Rugose Giant Clam | katavatu, kativatu | Vasticardium sp. |
| Fluted Giant Clam | cega | Tridacna squamosa |
| Surf Clam | sigawale, silawale | Atactodea striata |
| Mangrove Mussel | kuku, boro | Modiolus agripetus |
| Mangrove Oyster | dioniveitiri | Crassostrea mordax |
| Thorny Oyster | kolakola, saulaki | Spondylus ducalis |
| Pigmy Pearlshell | civaciva, civare | Pinctada martensi |
| Gastropods | ||
| Spider shell | yaga, ega | Lambis lambis |
| Red-lipped stromb | tivikea, gwerativi | Strombus luhuanus |
| Stromb | golea, gerra | S. gibberulus |
| Trochus shell | sici, leru | Trochus niloticus |
| Top shell | tovu | Tectus pyramis |
| Moon snail | drevula | Polinices fl emingiani |
| Polished nerite | madrali | Nerita polita |
| Horn shell | ciciyarayara, durulevu | Cerithium nodulosum |
| Turban shell | lasawa | Turbo chrystomus |
| Polished nerite | madrali | Nerita plita |
| Miscellaneous | ||
| Chiton | tadruku | Acanthozostera gemmata |
| Green seahare | veata, kotia | Dolabella auricularia |
| Black seahare | veataika, kotiaika | Dolabella sp. |
| Sea Cucumber | Description | |
 | Brown Sandfish - Bohadschia vitiensis | |
 | Black Teatfish - Microthele nobilis | |
 | Surf Redfish - Actinopyga mauritiana | |
 | Lollyfish - Halodeima atra | |
 | Deep Surf Redfish - Actinopyga echinites | |
 | Prickly Redfish - Thelenota ananas | |
 | Elephant’s Trunkfish - Holothuria fuscopunctata | |
| Sandfish - Metriatyla scabra | ||
| Sea Cucumber - Stichopus sp. | ||
| White Teatfish - Microthele fuscogilva | ||
| Greenfish - Stichopus chloronotus | ||
| Blackfish - Actinopyga miliaris | ||
| Curry fish - Stichopus variegates | ||
| Stonefish - Stichopus variegates | ||
| Snails of Fiji | #colspan# | ||
| Freshwater Snail - (Neritina squamaepicta) | Flax Shell - (Placostylus Kantavuensis) | ||
| Malleated Placostyle - (Placostylus Malleatus) | Fragile Orpiella - (Orpiella Fragillima) | ||
| Freshwater Snail Fiji - (doma Maculata) | Thin Fijian Placostyle - (Placostylus Gracilis) |
| Crabs of Fiji | Descriptions | |
 | Kukadamu Red handed Shore Crab - (Parasesarma erythrodactyla) | |
 | Lairo Brown Land Crab - (Cardisoma Carnifex) | |
 | Mud Crab - (Scylla Serrata) | |
 | Coconut Crab - (Birgus Latro) is the largest land crab in the world. They can grow up to 40 inches in total length and weigh up to 4kg (4 bags of sugar). It is a type of hermit crab with an Indo-Pacific distribution but confined to the islands only. | |
| No Image | Kukaloa Shore Crab - (Metopograpsus Messor) | |
| Centipede | Descriptions |
|---|---|
Gastropod | Gastropoda, the largest group in the phylum Mollusca. The class is made up of the snails, which have a shell into which the animal can generally withdraw, and the slugs, which are snails whose shells have been reduced to an internal fragment or completely lost in the course of evolution. Gastropods are among the few groups of animals to have become successful in all three major habitats: the ocean, fresh waters, and land. (Britannica)
Invertebrate | Is any animal that lacks a vertebral column, or backbone, in contrast to the cartilaginous or bony vertebrates. (Wikipedia)
Molluscs | Any soft-bodied invertebrate of the phylum Mollusca, usually wholly or partly enclosed in a calcium carbonate shell secreted by a soft mantle covering the body
Nudibranchs | are a group of soft-bodied marine gastropod molluscs which shed their shells after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colours and striking forms. (Britannica)
Art, T. (2022). Finger Coral Acropora humilis [Photograph]. Istock.
Anderson, J. (2022). Nudibranch Lochs Chromodoris Chromodoris lochi [Photograph]. Nudibranch.Org.
Broeder, H. (2022). Macro of a faithful sea slug [Photograph]. IStock.
Curtis, K. (2022). Brain Coral Platygyra daedalea [Photograph]. Getty Images.
Huan, D. (2022). Nudibranch Halgerda Carlsoni. [Photograph]. Getty Images.
iStock (2022). Nudibranch Sea Slug [Photograph].
Rohrlach, S. (2022). Blue Dragon, Glaucus Atlanticus [Photograph]. Getty Images.
Starosta, P. (2022). Nudibranch Spanish Dancer Hexabranchus sanguineus [Photograph]. Getty images.
stock, W. (2022). Candy Cane Coral Caulastrea furcata [Photograph]. Istock.
Stony Coral Acropora echinata [Photograph]. Reef Builders.
| Fijian Lobster | Descriptions | #colspan# |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Rock Lobster - (Panulirus penicillatus) - Small, black and red found mostly on the ocean side of coral reefs, and known for its tough carapace. | |
| Painted Rock Lobster - (P. versicolor) - The most colourful, found mostly in coral patches and is essentially dark green, with narrow black and white stripes, and long antennae which are red at the base. | |
| Whiskered Lobster - (P. longipipes femoristriga) | |
| Ornate Rock Lobster - (P. ornatus) - Large light blue, which has black and white striped legs and antennae, prefers a quieter lagoon habitat. | |
| Mana Mangrove Mud-Lobster - (Thalassina anomala) | |
| Blue Spiny Lobster - (Panulirus versicolor) | |
| No Image | Slipper Lobster - (Parribacus caledonicus) | |