List of Salt Marsh Species

by Scientific Name*

Animals

Amphipoda MP

Annelida (Oligochaeta) MP

Anurida maritima (Springtail) MP

Botryllus schlosseri (Goldenstar Tunicate) Z1

Buccinum undatum (Common or Waved Whelk) Z1

Cancer irroratus (Rock Crab) Z1

Carcinus maenas (Green Crab) Z1

Cerebratulus lacteus (Ribbon Worm) Z1

Copepods MP

Crangon septemspinosus (Sand Shrimp) Z1

Crassostrea virginica (Eastern Oyster) Z1

Crepidula fornicata (Common Slipper Shell) Z1

Dragonflies and Damselflies MP

Fundulus heteroclitus (Mummichog) MP

Gammarus sp., Amphipod (about 10 mm long)

(Sideswimmers or

Scuds) Z1 , MP

Glycera americana (Blood Worm) Z1

Gyratrix spp. MP

Halichondria panicea (Bread-Crumb Sponge) Z1

Ilyanassa obsoleta (Mud Snail)Z1

Isopod Z1

Limulus polyphemus (Horseshoe Crab) Z1

Littorina littorea (Periwinkle) Z1

Littorina saxatilus (Rough Periwinkle) Z2

Melampus bidentatus ( Saltmarsh Snail) Z1

Mercenaria mercenaria (Quahog) Z1

Metridium senile (Brown Sea Anemone) Z1

Midges (Biting) MP

Modiolus demissus (Ribbed Mussel) Z1, Z2

Molgula spp. (Sea Squirt) Z1

Mosquito Larvae MP

Mya arenaria (Soft-Shell Clam) Z1

Mysid Shrimp Z1

Mytilus edulis (Blue Mussel) Z1

Nematode MP

Nereis succinea (The Common Clamworm) Z1

Nereis virens (Clam Worm) Z1

Nucella lapillus (Dogwhelk) Z1

Obelia spp. Z1

Onchidoris spp. (Nudibranch) Z1

Ostracoda MP

Pagurus longicarpus (Long-armed Hermit Crab) Z1

Platyhelminthes MP

Protozoa (Flagellated and Ciliated) MP

Rotifera MP

Saccoglossus kowaleskii (Acorn Worm) Z1

Semibalanus balanoides (Common Rock Barnacle) Z1

Spiders MP

Tabanus nigrovittatus (Green Head) MP

Urosalpinx cinerea (Oyster Drill) Z1

Water Boatman MP, Z1

Water Scavenger Beetle Larva MP

Water Strider MP, Z1

Zoothamnion spp. MP

Bacteria

Heterotrophic Bacteria: Spiral Shaped, Rod Shaped and Spherical Forms MP

Bluegreen Bacteria (Blugreen Algae): Calothrix spp., Lyngbea spp. and Oscillatoria spp. spp. MP

Purple Photosynthetic Bacteria: Unidentified Type. MP

Algae

Ascophyllum nodosum (Knotted Wrack) Z2

Chaetomorpha spp. MP, Z1

Chondrus crispus (Irish Moss) Z1

Cladophora spp. MP, Z1

Diatoms MP

Dinoflagellates MP

Enteromorpha spp. MP, Z1

Fucus vesiculosis (Rock Weed) Z2

Ulothrix spp. MP, Z1

Ulva lactuca (Sea Lettuce) Z1

Plants

Agrostis gigantea (Redtop Grass) Z5, Z3

Agrostis stolonifera (Creeping Bent-grass) Z5

Apios americana (Groundnut) Z6

Argentina anserina (Potentilla) anserina (Silverweed) Z3

Aronia melanocarpa (Black Chokeberry) Z6

Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed) Z6

Atriplex patula (Common Orach) MP,PP, Z3

Berberis vulgaris (Common Barberry) Z6

Calamagrostis spp. (Reed Bentgrass) Z5

Calystegia sepium (Hedge-bindweed or Wild Morning-

glory) Z6

Carex spp. Z5

Carex crinita (Fringed Sedge) Z5

Carex hormathodes (Marsh-Straw Sedge) Z5

Carex palaceae (Chaffy Sedge) Z5

Celastrus scandens (Climbing Bittersweet) Z6

Centaurea spp. (Star-thistle) Z6

Cladium mariscoides (Twig-rush) Z3

Comptonia peregrina (Sweet-fern) Z6

Cornus alterniflora (Alternate-leaved Dogwood) Z6

Cuscuta gronovii (Dodder) Z6

Distichlis spicata (Spike Grass or Saltgrass) Z3

Doellingeria (Aster) umbellata (White Flat-Topped Aster)

Z6

Eleocharis parvula (Spike Rush) Z3, MP, PP

Elymus (Agropyron) repens (Quack Grass) Z5

Elymus virginicus (Virginia Rye Grass) Z5

Festuca rubra (Red Fescue Grass) Z3, Z5

Glaux maritima (Sea Milkwort) MP, PP,  Z3

Hierochloe odorata (Sweet or Vanilla Grass) Z3, Z5

Hordeum jubatum (Squirrel-tail or Foxtail Barley) Z4

Ilex verticillata (Winterberry) Z6

Juncus arcticus (Baltic Rush) Z5

Juncus geradii (Black Grass) Z4

Lathyrus japonicus (Wild (Japanese) Beach Pea) Z6

Limonium carolinianum (Sea-Lavender or Marsh

Rosemary) Z3

Lythrum salicaria (Purple Loosestrief) Z6

Myrica gale (Sweet Gale) Z5, Z6

Myrica pensylvanica (Morella pensylvanica) (Northern

Bayberry)

Z5

Osmunda cinnamonea (Cinnamon Fern) Z6

Panicum virgatum (Red Switchgrass) Z5

Phragmites australis (Common Reed Grass) Z5

Plantago maritima (Seaside Plantain) Z3, MP

Rhus typhina (Staghorn Sumac) Z6

Rosa palustris (Swamp Rose) Z6

Rubus spp. (Red Raspberry) Z6

Ruppia maritima MP

Salicornia maritima (Glasswort) Z2, Z3, MP, PP

Schoenoplectus pungens (Scirpus americanus) (Sharp-

pointed Three Square) Z5

Schoenoplectus (Scirpus) robustus (Salt Marsh Bulrush)

MP, Z3 ,Z5

Solanum dulcamara (Bittersweet Nightshade) Z6

Solidago sempervirens (Seaside Goldenrod) Z3, Z5

Sonchus asper (Sow Thistle) Z6

Spartina alterniflora (Salt-water Cordgrass) PP, Z1, Z2

Spartina patens (Salt Meadow Cordgrass) Z3

Spartina pectinata (Freshwater Cordgrass) Z5

Spergularia salina (Salt Marsh Sand Spurrey) PP, Z3

Spiraea alba (Meadow-sweet) Z5

Suaeda linearis (Erect Sea Blite) Z2, MP, PP

Symphyotrichum tenuifolium (Aster tenuifolius),

(Slender-leaved Aster) Z3, Z4, Z5, Z6

Thinopyrum pycnanthum (Agropyron pungens)

(Wheatgrass) Z5

Toxicodendron radicans (Poison Ivy) Z5

Triglochin maritima (Northern Sea-side Arrowgrass) Z3

Typha angustifolia (Narrowleaf Cattail) MP, Z5

Vaccinium macrocarpon (American Cranberry) Z5

Viburnum dentatum (Arrowwood) Z6

Zostera marina (Eelgrass) Z1

* The location of each salt marsh species is listed after it’s name. Species may be found in Zones (Z) 1-6, in marsh pools (MP) or in marsh pannes (PP)