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Creature Feature: Aliens have Landed
People aren’t the only critters who like to move to the Sound…find out how to tell who’s who
| They don't arrive in spaceships or fall from the night sky, but Puget Sound is crawling with alien creatures. Some are welcomed. Some are not. Find them next time you head down to the beach or join in efforts to rid Puget Sound of some of the most harmful aliens. |  |
| Cordgrass, also known by its scientific name, Spartina, grows in tidal marshes. It is a pesky invader from the eastern United States. As it spreads, this tall green grass pushes out native plants. Watch for cordgrass in northern parts of Puget Sound wherever you find native saltmarsh plants such as pickleweed. Pickleweed is a low growing plant with chubby little finger-like stems that spread right out to the edge of the sea. Long ignored by most people, pickleweed is now being farmed and sold to restaurants where it is served as “sea asparagus”. | |
| An invader from Europe, the Green Crab scurries through the shallows in search of clams, often eating another alien, the Manila Clam. Green Crabs grow to about three inches across their brown to greenish backs and have a red underside. Manila Clams may not be native, but people enjoy them so much for food we let them live in our midst. They are usually the clam you will be eating if you order “steamers” at a restaurant or buy live clams at the market. Native “steamers” are still preferred by many. They have a much rounder, white shell compared with the Manila's orange tinted shell that has a yellow interior. | |
| Alien oysters cover many beaches, but they were brought to Puget Sound intentionally when the native, Olympia Oyster was nearly driven to extinction due to over-harvest and pollution. Non-native oysters came from Japan and from the eastern United States. Hopping along for the ride, snails known as Oyster Drills spread along with the tasty oysters, one kind of drill from the east and one from Japan. | |
| Oyster Drills evolved with the non-natives that are much larger than our native Olympia Oyster. The Drills can bore through the thin shell of baby Olympia Oysters and slurp out the soft parts. Oyster growers can pluck Oyster Drills from the beaches. They can also pluck clumps of the Oyster Drill's rice-like eggs, ridding the beach of these pests before they hatch. | |
| Up Close: Caution! Many native plants and animals look like the alien invaders. Join with organized efforts to rid beaches of unwanted snails, cordgrass, or green crabs but spend even more time getting to know and helping to protect our many thousands of Puget Sound native species. | |
