It's a Beach Party! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Beard

The byssus, byssal thread or "beard" is very similar to human hair in that it contains keratin and is of a similar size. However, additional proteins are present which differentiates the "beard" of a mussel from human hair, including one which provides its sticky nature thus allowing the mussel to remain attached to rocks and other such surfaces.

Answer: Sea snail

The common periwinkle, and periwinkles in general, is a type of sea snail. A significant part of the diet of Littorina littorea is algae but the common periwinkle will feed on other animals, particularly various larvae, if the opportunity presents itself. Sea snails are edible and, as unappetising as they sound, are considered a delicacy in certain parts of the world.

Answer: Snapper

The relationship between the tongue-eating louse and the spotted rose snapper (the louse only interacts with this species of snapper) has to be one of the most bizarre in existence. The louse uses the gills to gain entry to the oral cavity of the spotted rose snapper before attaching itself to the tongue of the fish. The tongue will eventually waste away and it is at this point that things get peculiar. The louse attaches itself to the remaining portion of the tongue and things carry on as normal!

As the parasitic louse attacks the tongue of the snapper, the snapper clearly does not benefit. After the attack however, with the louse acting as a replacement tongue, the snapper is in a better state than if it had no tongue at all.

For those who wish to read more about this particular isopod, its binomial name is Cymothoa exigua.

Answer: Sea anemone

The tide pool is a harsh habitat which makes it particularly difficult for both flora and fauna to adapt to. The sea anemone is an example of an animal that can survive in the tide pool habitat but they are somewhat territorial. Sea anemones will use their tentacles to sting other sea anemones in a battle for space until one gives way.

The clown fish is immune to the sea anemone's stinging tentacles and this allows the fish to hide amongst the tentacles when fleeing from predators.

Answer: Yes

Abalones, which can often be found in tide pools, have a shell that is made of calcium carbonate and proteins. This particular animal has been studied extensively and abalone-specific diseases have been discovered, abalone viral ganglioneuritis (AVG) being an example.

Answer: Sunflower starfish

The sunflower starfish is a species that is found along the Pacific coast of the United States. Despite its pleasant name the sunflower starfish is a predator and, as an opportunistic feeder, quite a selection of marine creatures are considered fair game.

The sunflower starfish is rather partial to a feast of sea urchins but other animals, including different starfish species, are not exempt from the menu!

Answer: Giant tiger prawn

The giant tiger prawn is consumed by humans around the world and this species alone was worth more than $3 billion in 2009. The incorrect answers (Indian prawn, Atlantic white shrimp and whiteleg shrimp) belong to the same family, Penaeidae, as the giant tiger prawn and are also sold for human consumption.

Answer: Arthropoda

The arthropods are a large and diverse collection of animals that includes the barnacle. The barnacle more specifically belongs to the subphylum Crustacea and thus shares many characteristics, such as an exoskeleton, with animals such as crabs and lobsters.

There are over one thousand different species of barnacle and they can all be described as sessile (immobile). Barnacles attach themselves to a stable object, usually a rock, and remain there until they die or are displaced by a competitor.

Answer: Patella vulgata

The common limpet is just one of many species of true limpet. Even though this particular species, Patella vulgata, is most commonly spotted in Europe, other species can be found around the world.

The kneecap was mentioned in the clue to this question and the common limpet's binomial nomenclature reflects the fact that its shell resembles the shape of a kneecap, that is the shell is patelliform.

Answer: No

The hermit crab, well known for its shell-changing habits, is not considered to be a true crab, it instead has more characteristics in common with the squat lobster. The identity crisis doesn't end there however as the squat lobster is not considered to be a true lobster! This confusion has caused problems for restaurants selling seafood with court cases taking place in order to determine whether or not squat lobster should be put on the menu as lobster.