Seashore wildlife

On the coast of Ghana for instance, the greatest extent of almost continuous rock shore is on either side of Cape Three Points and stretches from the Ankobra River in the west to Sekondi in the east, a distance of about 45 miles.

At the east of Prampram, sandy beaches stretch almost continuously along the eastern coast of Ghana and throughout Nigeria until a rocky shore is met with again in the Cameroons (Gauld and Buchanan, 1959).

Three species of barnacles, namely Cthamalus dentatus, Megabalanus tintinnabulum and Tetraclita squamata are found on the West African rocky shores.

Recently settled animals are a pale brown color but as they age, they quickly become dirty white.

C. dentatus have no calcareous base between the body of the animal and the rock surface (Edmunds, 1978; Yankson and Kendall, 2001).

The plates making up the shell become fused as the animal grows and in large specimens can be difficult to distinguish.

It has sculpture of intersecting radiating and concentric ridges, color may be cream, pale pink or brown.

This species occurs throughout West Africa in shallow and low on rocky shores though rare (Yankson and Kendall, 2001).

The genus Fissurella is distinguished from Diodora by its flatter shell, a larger more central apical hole, sculpture of only radiating ridges and height about a third of its length.

Fissurella coarctata has a large apical hole and of characteristic shape, color pale pink or brown.

This species is fairly common in Senegal and Sierra Leone, rare in Ghana and has not been recorded further east (Yankson and Kendall, 2001).

Fissurella nubecula has an aperture length of 15–25 mm, medium sized apical hole and color pink or violet often with radiating white bands.

It is sculptured by radiating ridges, colored grey externally, and blue-grey and white internally, with a horseshoe shaped paler scar, which is interrupted anteriorly to make room for the head.

Nerita senegalensis (Family Neritiidae) has shell height and width almost the same length, 15–20 mm, with teeth occurring on the outer lip of aperture.

Littorina punctata has a shell height of about 8–15 mm, color brown or grey with white markings in spiral rows often giving a checked appearance.

It is usually rarer than the previous species though common in Sierra Leone, it is rare in Senegal and probably Nigeria but extends to Cameroun (Yankson and Kendall, 2001).

Littorina angulifera (Littoraria angulifera) Thais species (Muricidae) have wide oval aperture, notched at base; columella callosity smooth and arched; operculum is horny thin, nucleus at outside edge; sculpture of rounded or pointed tubercles.

Thais nodosa shell height is about 40–55 mm, width somewhat less; body whorl large, spire short and blunt; outer lip is spreading outwards; columella callosity broad, almost flat, white with usually two purple spots on it, sculpture of five spiral rows or rounded tubercles, the two upper ones being the most prominent; color pale fawn.

This is a fairly common species low on rocky shores especially in crevices under overhanging rocks, etc (Yankson and Kendall, 2001).

Thais callifera has a shell height of 30 – 70 mm, with width slightly less, aperture notched near suture as well as below; body whorl large, spire short and blunt, sculpture two or four rows or rounded tubercles, color pale fawn, inside of aperture pale orange.

The region holds multiple important ecosystems such as the Gulf of Maine, Midatlantic Bight, and Georges Bank.

[3] Wildlife on the Pacific coast of the United States is home to many different families of animals, such as birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates, both terrestrial and aquatic.

[5] Oregon's seashore also provides a habitat for many animals, such as the high-speed peregrine falcon, the dungeness crab, or social California sea lion.

Spatial Assemblages of Tropical Intertidal Rocky Shore Communities in Ghana, West Africa.

A preliminary survey of the macro-invertebrate fauna at Iture Rocky Beach, Cape Coast, Ghana.