Critter Corner

By: Bill Knauer (4/2001)

  The critter of the month is the Oregon Hairy Triton (Fusitriton oregonensis), usually just called a Hairy Triton. This mollusk member of the Gastropod Class (snails, slugs, welks, abalones) grows to about 5 inches long. It is a light brown and covered with gray-brown bristles, hence the name “hairy”. The shell is basically an elongate cone wound around an axis. Each turn around the axis constitutes a whorl. In the case of the Oregon Hairy Triton, there are 6 whorls in its shell. The Oregon Hairy Triton is usually found on rock bottoms in shallow water from Alaska to southern California (hence, we do find them in Smitty’s Cove.) Occasionally, they use softer bottoms and may go as deep as 600 feet. Because of their rather non-descript appearance, they are sometimes easy to miss as a diver glides along over the bottom. They are an aggressive predator on other mollusks and sea urchins. They also scavenge across the bottom looking for morsels of food.

In case you wondered, the Oregon Hairy Triton is the State Shell of Oregon. (Alaska doesn’t even have an officially-designated State Shell.) Keep your eves open for interesting creatures when diving in Alaska and elsewhere.