MARINE LIFE
of 
ICELAND
and the 
North Atlantic Ocean

including Marine Mammals,
 Fish, Jellyfish, Mollusks,
 and Anthropods

 


A listing compiled by Armas Hill

 
PHOTO AT UPPER RIGHT:
A Blue Whale during the FONT Iceland Tour in June 2012 - 1 of 2 Blue Whales seen during that tour.
Actually, in the photo, a small portion of a very large whale. 
With most of the tail, the very rear portion of the back, and part of the fin still above the water,
as the whale began a deep dive.   
(photo by Gabi Hauser)

Links, in the following list, to:

Sea Turtle    Marine Mammals   Fish    Jellyfish

Mollusks (including Shells):   Gastropods    Bivalves    Squids

Arthropods:  Crustaceans   Echinoderms   

Additional Links:

A Listing of scheduled Focus On Nature Tours    FONT Past Tour Highlights

Birds found in Iceland during FONT tours    A Complete List of Iceland Birds

Wildflowers and some Other Plants in Iceland  (with some photos) 

Photo Galleries of Icelandic Nature, Scenery and Culture 
from FONT tours in:    June 2006    June 2009    June 2012    Sep/Oct 2013    June 2015

  

Codes:

(ASC:xx)  refers to plate number of photo in the "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Seashore Creatures"

(FGCF:xx)  refers to the page with an illustration in the book "A Field Guide to Coastal Fishes, from Maine to Texas", by Val Kells & Kent Carpenter, 2011. 

(PAF:xx)  refers to the plate with an illustration in the book "Peterson Field Guide, Atlantic Coast Fishes", by C. Richard Robins & G. Carleton Ray, with illustrations by John Douglass & Rudolf Freund, 1986.   

(PAS:xx)  refers to the plate with an illustration in the book "Peterson Field Guide, Atlantic Seashore", by Kenneth Gosner, 1978,   

These classifications by the ICUN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
of Threatened & Near-threatened species; 
(t1):  critically endangered
(t2):  endangered
(t3);  vulnerable  
(nt):  near-threatened 

(*):     seen during FONT tours 
(ph):  species with a photo in the FONT website 




         MARINE TURTLE  (a Reptile)
 

1. Leatherback (Sea) Turtle  (t1) (ph)  ______ 
   Dermochelys coriacea
   
   The Leatherback Sea Turtle is the only marine reptile that has been known to occur in Icelandic waters.
   It is world's largest turtle. It can weigh half a ton. It is a deep diver, able to go to a depth of about 5,000 feet.
   
   In Icelandic waters, the Leatherback Sea Turtle has both been sighted alive in the ocean and found dead on the beach. However,  it is very rare in Icelandic waters as it is too cold there for it to be on regular basis. 
   The turtle, that nests in the Caribbean for example, where the water is warm, is able to maintain a relatively high internal temperature during its distant travels. 
   
   An excellent book about sea turtles is "Voyage of the Turtle - in Pursuit of the Earth's Last Dinosaurs", by Carl Safina, Owl Books, 2007.  
   
   
   MARINE MAMMALS
   
   At least 12 species of CETACEANS occur regularly in Icelandic waters. 5 of them are BALEEN WHALES and 7 are TOOTHED WHALES, including DOLPHINS and a PORPOISE.
   In addition, 11 species have been found sporadically. 
   
   
2. North Atlantic Right Whale  (t2) (ph)  ______
   Balaena glacialis
   
   The North Atlantic Right Whale was once widespread, but it is now rare everywhere in its range, in the Northern Hemisphere. due to extensive hunting. 
   It has, during recent decades, been very occasionally seen near Iceland in the summer, and virtually never near the coast. 
   
   
   
   North Atlantic Right Whale
   
   
3. Bowhead Whale  ______  (described by Linnaeus in 1758)
   Balaena mysticetus
   
   The Bowhead Whale has never been very common around Iceland. It has now been virtually exterminated by hunting, and recorded in Icelandic waters only very occasionally.  
   
   
4. Fin Whale  (t2) (ph) (*)  ______  (described by Linnaeus in 1758)
   Balaenoptera physalus
   
   The population of the Fin Whale has been decimated by whaling, but it is still fairly common in Icelandic waters.
   It occurs all around the country, though usually in deeper water. It first appears in March, but the main numbers arrive at the end of May or the beginning of June.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Two photos of Fin Whales, taken during FONT tours
   (photos by Armas Hill)
   
   
5. Blue Whale  (t2) (ph) (*)  ______  (described by Linnaeus in 1758)
   Balaenoptera musculus
   
   Back in the 19th Century, the Blue Whale was said to be numerous around the Iceland coast and even in some of the deeper fjords.
   It still occurs in Icelandic waters, but it is now rare there, as it is worldwide, and only occasionally seen. It probably arrives around Iceland in late April or in May.
   
   
   
   Blue Whale
   (photo by Armas Hill)
   
   There is another photograph of a Blue Whale, that was taken during a FONT tour in Iceland in June 2012,
   at the top of this list. 
   
   
6. Northern Minke Whale  (ph) (*)  ______
   Balaenoptera acutorostrata
   
   The Northern Minke Whale is fairly common around Iceland. It is sometimes seen close to land as it is mostly an inshore species.
   
   
   
   A Northern Minke Whale photographed during a FONT tour
   
   
7. Sei Whale  ______
   Balaenoptera borealis  
   
   The Sei Whale is said to be fairly common in Icelandic waters, though numbers fluctuate considerably from year to year. 
   Occasionally it is seen near the coast. off southeastern and southern Iceland, usually in the late summer.
   
   
8. Humpback Whale  (ph)  ______
   Megaptera novaeangliae
   
   The Humpback Whale is fairly common in Icelandic waters. It is occasionally seen from ships, particularly off the east and southeast coasts of the country. Occasionally it is seen close to land. 
   
   
   
   A Humpback Whale photographed during a FONT tour, showing the "humps" on its back.
   (photo by Marie Gardner) 
   
   
9. Northern Bottlenose Whale  ______
   Hyperoodon ampullatus
   
   The Northern Bottlenose Whale is found all around Iceland in the summer and autumn, but it is not common. 
   It is more often in deep offshore waters, where it is mostly found in the sea between Iceland and Jan Mayen.
   It is, however, occasionally near the Iceland coast in July. There have been some strandings.   
   
   
10. beaked whale sp.  ______
    Mesoplodon sp.
    
    Beaked whales are probably rare visitors to Iceland waters from the south. But over the years there have been only very few verified occurrences.
    There were some specimens during the 20th Century from strandings and incidental catches by whalers.  
    
    
11. Narwhal  ______
    Monodon monoceros
    
    The Narwhal has been a rare visitor from the Arctic that has occasionally been seen in deeper waters around Iceland, mostly off the north and northwest coasts of the country.   
    
    
12. Beluga  ______
    Delphinapterus leucas
    
    The Beluga has been a rare visitor from the Arctic rarely seen in shallow waters around Iceland.
    
    
13. Great Sperm Whale  (ph)  ______
    Physeter macrocephalus
    
    The Great Sperm Whale is occasionally seen from the coast all around Iceland, but mostly in the west. It nearly always is at the edge of the shelf. Most sightings are from the late spring through the early autumn.
    
    The Great Sperm Whales around Iceland are exclusively males. The females rarely venture into latitudes higher than 45 degrees north, and Iceland is roughly between 63 and 67 degrees north.
    More than 2,500 Great Sperm Whales were killed off the coast of Iceland from 1948 to 1982, and not a single one was a female.
    Females with calves have been sighted, on several occasions, from 52 to 54 degrees north, during recent research surveys.
    
    The Great Sperm Whale is believed to dive deeper, and for longer, than any other mammal. They dive to such deep depths for squid, octopuses, and fish. Large individuals can eat more than a ton of food every day.
    The largest "Giant Squid" known to have been taken by a Great Sperm Whale was 47 feet and 7 inches long including its tentacles.
    Male Great Sperm Whales grow to a length of about 59 feet.     
    
    
    
    Photographed during a FONT tour, a Great Sperm Whale showing its diagonal spout
     
    
14. Harbor Porpoise  (*)  ______  (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
    Phocoena phocoena
    
    The Harbor Porpoise is common all around Iceland. It is particularly common off the south and southwest coasts in the spring when they pursue Capelin that are visiting the coasts to spawn. They often chase Herring into bays and fjords in the summer. They mostly leave Iceland in the winter, but some remain.   
    At times, Harbor Porpoises can easily be spotted as they are vocal and demonstrative, and splash at the surface of the water. 
    
    
15. Long-finned Pilot Whale  (ph) (*)  ______
    Globicephala melaena
    
    The Long-finned Pilot Whale is well known around Iceland. At times they get stranded on the shore, but mostly they are in deeper waters.
    They approach the northwest and west coasts of Iceland from August to October, seemingly in search of squid.
    They are normally seen during those months in Faxafloi, Breidafjordur, and Hunafloi.
    
    In the autumn of 1983, hundreds of Long-finned Pilot Whales were stranded near a small fishing village on the west coast. Most of them were kept alive and successfully returned to the sea by the villagers.
    
    
    
    A Long-finned Pilot Whale photographed during a FONT tour  
    
    
16. Orca  (ph)  ______  (another name is Killer Whale)
    Orcinus orca
    
    The Orca, or Killer Whale is particularly common in Icelandic waters, and is often seen close to land. It is most often seen in the summer and autumn, when they follow shoals of herring to inshore waters near the coast, but Orcas can be seen in Icelandic waters at any time of year.
    
    Orcas are most readily seen in Icelandic waters in the East Fjords, around the Westmann Islands, by the Rekjanes Peninsula, and in the West Fjords.
    
    A survey in the North Atlantic in 1987 estimated a total population of nearly 7,000 Orcas in the area around Iceland and the Faeroe Islands. That number is an approximation.
    In recent years, several hundred individuals have been identified in Icelandic costal waters, mainly in the East Fjords.
    
    Worldwide, Orcas occur from the polar ice-edges to the equator. However, they are most often in cooler regions of mid to high latitudes, and are most common in near-shore waters over the continental shelf.
    They do not undertake a north-south migration as the larger whales do, although in the polar regions, they have to move north and south with the sea ice. Their food supply dictates daily, weekly, and monthly movements.
    
    For more than 2 decades, Iceland was a major source of live Orcas for Sea World and other marine parks around the world. From 1974 to 1989, a total of 64 animals were captured for live display. Since then, however, none have been taken.     
    
    
17. White-beaked Dolphin  (*)  ______
    Lagenorhynchus albirostris
    
    The White-beaked Dolphin is the most common dolphin in coastal waters around Iceland in the summer. Found mainly in the southwest and northeast, it can be seen however almost anywhere around the country. 
    It can occur in pods of several hundred individuals. Smaller groups of less than 50 individuals are more common, especially in western Iceland.   
    
    Lagenorhynchus albirostris is a large and robust dolphin. It eats squid, octopus, a variety of fish including cod, herring, and haddock, and sometimes bottom-dwelling crustaceans.
    It is often found in the company of whales, in the Denmark Strait between Iceland and Greenland, feeding on capelin.    
    
    
18. Atlantic White-sided Dolphin  ______
    Lagenorhynchus acutus
    
    The Atlantic White-sided Dolphin has a geographic distribution that is similar to its close relative, the White-beaked Dolphin (above).
    Lagenorhynchus acutus is found in cool temperate and subarctic waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. It occurs in two distinct regions: one to the north and east (including Iceland), and the other further west centered around Newfoundland and Nova Scotia in Canada.
    In Iceland, it is near the northern edge of its range, and the Atlantic White-sided Dolphin is considerably more rare there than the White-beaked Dolphin.    
    
    
19. Common Dolphin  (ph)  ______
    Delphinus delphis
    
    Despite its English name, the Common Dolphin is not at all common in Icelandic waters, which are at extreme northern edge of its range. There were very few records for it there in the 20th century, but some were either dead specimens that were washed ashore or others that had the misfortune of being caught in nets.    
    
    
20. Walrus  (ph)  ______
    Odobenus rosmarus
    Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus  ______  North Atlantic Walrus 
    
    The Walrus has occasionally appeared along Iceland's coasts. They come from their breeding grounds in Greenland and further north.
    Over the years, they have generally moved north or south with the southern edge of the ice pack (that is north of Iceland).
    Normally the Greenland ice begins advancing south in October. So it has been said that most Walruses have been sighted in the winter, but read the following, from the "Iceland Review On Line" from September 27, 2013:
    
    "A Walrus was spotted sprawling on the beach Hofstrandarsandur by the Borgarfjordur estuary in far-northeastern eastern Iceland yesterday (September 26).
    It is thought to be the same Walrus that whale watchers observed elsewhere in northern Iceland, off Husavik, the previous Wednesday.
    Eyewitnesses described the half-grown Walrus (when it was on the beach) as calm. A number of people made the trip to Hofstrandarsandur to go "walrus watching".
    The captain of the whale watching boat from which the Walrus was seen (on that Wednesday) said he had never seen a Walrus before, and he thought it was a seal at first glance. He said "that it was not afraid of us at all, and stayed by our boat and mostly on the surface of the water. We spent some 20 minutes with it."
    While Walruses are rare in Icelandic waters - they are not native in the country - they have been spotted unusually often lately, at least 5 times since June. However, some sightings were likely to be of the same animal."
    
    During the FONT Iceland tour in September 2013, we were at that dark sandy beach Hofstrandarsandur, in remote northeastern Iceland, one day after that Walrus was there. But even without the Walrus, what a picturesque place, with a little village by the sea. 
    That same area is also where a beautiful drake Steller's Eider was, for years, associating with Harlequin Ducks.  
    
    During the entire 20th Century, some 30 to 40 Walruses were sighted in Iceland.
    
    
    
    The Walrus on the beach Hofstrandarsandur the day before we were there
    during our FONT Iceland Tour in September 2013
    
    
    
21. Harbor Seal  (ph) (*)  ______
    Phoca vitulina
    Phoca vitulina vitulina  ______  Eastern Atlantic Harbor Seal
    
    The Harbor Seal is the most common of the two species of seals that breed in Iceland. 
    In Iceland, it the subspecies known as the Eastern Atlantic Harbor Seal which also breeds on the coasts of Scandinavia, Holland, Britain, and Ireland.
    Along the southern shores of Iceland, there about 25,000 Harbor Seals, out of the approximately 40,000 in Iceland overall. That is over half of the world's total population.  
    
    
    
    Above & below: Harbor Seals
    Above: in the water, during a FONT tour   (photo by James Schieb)
    Below: on a rock  (photo by Howard Eskin)    
    
    
    
    And a sequence below of 3 more photos.
    (same seal, same photographer: Howard Eskin)   
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
22. Gray Seal  (*)  ______
    Halichoerus grypus
    
    
23. Bearded Seal  ______
    Erignathus barbatus
    
    
24. Hooded Seal  ______
    Cystophora cristata
    
    
25. Harp Seal  ______
    Pagophilus groenlandicus
    
    
26. Ringed Seal  ______
    Pusa hispida
    
    
27. Polar Bear  ______
    Ursus maritimus
    
    As Polar Bears feed almost exclusively on ice-associated seals, most of their lives are spent on drift ice in the ocean. 
    Thus, they are classified as marine mammals. They are also quite good swimmers if necessary.
    Polar Bears are not native to Iceland, but they are occasional "guests", especially in cold years associated with drift ice.
    However, on the other hand, 2 Polar Bears visited Iceland in the summer of 2008, which was a rather warm year with little or no drift ice near Iceland.
    A Polar Bear appeared in northwest Iceland at Haelavik/Hornstrandir on May 2, 2011. 
    During the 20th Century, about 50 visits by Polar Bears to Iceland were noted.
    
    
    FISH
    
    Click the above link to a list of marine fish of eastern North America, including those that occur as north as Iceland. 
    560 species are in that list. 
    
    The following, here, are FISH that occur in Icelandic oceanic waters:
    
    
28. Sea Lamprey  ______  (FGCF:63)   in the family PETROMYZONIDAE   (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
    Petromyzon marinus
    
    
29. Atlantic Hagfish  ______  (FGCF:63)   in the family MYXINIDAE  (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
    Myxine glutinosa
    
    
30. Basking Shark  (t3)  ______  (FGCF:67)  in the family CETORHINIDAE
    Cetorbinus maximus
    
    The Basking Shark is the world's second largest fish, after the Whale Shark. It can more over 30 feet long and weigh more than 4 tons, and it can jump completely out of the water. 
    
    
31. Porbeagle  (t3)  ______  (FGCF:67)  in the family LAMNIDAE
    Lamna nasus
    
    
32. Six-gilled Shark  ______  in the family HEXANCHIDAE
    Hexanchus griseus  
    
    
33. Tiger Shark  ______  (FGCF:75)  in the family CARCHARHINIDAE 
    Galeocerdo cuvier
    
    The Tiger Shark grows up to 18 feet in length.
    
    
34. Tope  ______  in the family CARCHARHINIDAE 
    Galeorhinus galeus
    
    
35. Deepsea Catshark  ______  in the family SCYLIORHINIDAE
    Apisturus laurussonii
    
    
36. Galeus murinus  ______  a catshark in the family SCYLIORHINIDAE
    
    
37. Scyliorhinus canicula  ______  a catshark in the family SCYLIORHINIDAE
    
    
38. False Cat Shark  ______  in the family PSEUDOTRIAKIDAE
    Pseudotriakis microdon
    
    
39. Spiny Dogfish  (t3)  ______  (FGCF:79)   in the family SQUALIDAE  (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
    Squalus acanthus
    
    Another name for Squalus acanthus is Spurdog.
    
    
40. Birdbeak Dogfish  ______  in the family SQUALIDAE
    Deania calceus 
    
    
41. Black Dogfish Shark  ______  in the family ETMOPTERIDAE
    Centroscyllium fabricii
    
    Species in the genus Centroscyllium and Etmopterus princeps (below) are "lantern sharks". 
    
    
42. Centroscyllium crepidater  ______  in the family ETMOPTERIDAE 
    
    
43. Centroscyllium obscurus  ______  in the family ETMOPTERIDAE
    
    
44. Etmopterus princeps  ______  in the family ETMOPTERIDAE
    
    
45. Portuguese Shark  (nt)  ______  (FGCF:81)  in the family SOMNIOSIDAE
    Centroscymnus coelolepis 
    
    Centroscymnus coelolepis and Somniosus microcephalus (below) are "sleeper sharks".
    
    
46. Greenland Shark  (nt)  ______  (FGCF:81)  in the family SOMNIOSIDAE
    Somniosus microcephalus
    
    The Greenland Shark grows to 21 feet in length.  
    
    
47. Rabbitfish  ______  in the family CHIMAERIDAE
    Chimaera monstrosa
    
    
48. Deepwater Chimaera  ______  (FGCF:63)  in the family CHIMAERIDAE
    Hydrolagus affinis
    
    
49. Ratfish  ______  in the family CHIMAERIDAE
    Hydrolagus mirabilis
    
    
50. Longnose Chimaera  ______  in the family RHINOCHIMAERIDAE
    Harriotta raleighana
    
    
51. Atlantic Spearnose Chimaera  ______  (FGCF:63)  in the family RHINOCHIMAERIDAE
    Rhinochimaera atlantica  
    
    
    Fish in the family PLATYROCTIDAE (below) are the TUBESHOULDERS. They were formerly in the family SEARIIDAE.
    
    
52. Koefoed's Searsid  ______  in the family PLATYTROCTIDAE   (species described in 1937)
    Searsia koefoedi
    
    
53. Bighead Searsid  ______  in the family PLATYTROCTIDAE   (species described in 1980)
    Holtbyrnia anomala
    
    
54. Holtbyrnia macrops  (was Holtbyrnia problematica)  ______  in the family PLATYTROCTIDAE  (species described in 1957)
    
    
55. Maul's Searsid  ______  in the family PLATYTROCTIDAE  (species described in 1960)  
    Holtbyrnia mauli 
    
    
56. Multipore Searsid  ______  in the family PLATYTROCTIDAE   (species described in 1951)
    Normichthys operosus islandica
    
    
57. Schnakenbeck's Searsid  ______  in the family PLATYTROCTIDAE   (species described in 1953)
    Sagamichthys schnakenbecki
    
    Sagamichthys schnakenbecki has been Searsia schnakenbecki and Holtbyrnia schnakenbacki. 
     
    
58. Thorny Skate  (t3)  ______  (FGCF:85) (PAF:6)   in the family RAJIDAE
    Amblyraja radiata  (was Raja radiata)
    
    Another name for Amblyraja radiata is Starry Ray. 
    
    
59. Shagreen Ray  ______   in the family RAJIDAE 
    Raja fullonica
    
    
60. Raja fyllae  ______   in the family RAJIDAE
    
    
61. Raja hyperborea  ______   in the family RAJIDAE
    
    
62. Pale Ray  ______   in the family RAJIDAE
    Raja lintea
    
    
63. Raja nidarosiensis  ______  in the family RAJIDAE  
    
    
64. Soft Skate  ______  in the family RAJIDAE
    Raja spinacidermis  
    
    
65. Spinytail Skate  ______  (PAF:6)  in the family RAJIDAE
    Bathyraja spinicauda  (or Raja spinicauda) 
    
    In addition to being in waters off Iceland, the Spinytail Skate ranges south from western Greenland to waters off the Georges Bank, as well being in the Barents Sea. 
    
    
66. Agassiz' Slickhead  ______  in the family ALEPOCEPHALIDAE
    Alepocephalus agassizi
    
    
67. Baird's Slickhead  ______  in the family ALEPOCEPHALIDAE
    Alepocephalus bairdii
    
    
68. Xenodermichthys socialis  ______  in the family ALEPOCEPHALIDAE   
    
    
69. European Sea Sturgeon  (t1)  ______  in the family ACIPENSERIDAE  (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)  
    Acipenser sturio  
    
    There have been no recent occurrences of the European Sea Sturgeon in Iceland waters. 
    
    
70. European Eel  (t1)  ______  in the family ANGUILLIDAE  (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
    Anguilla anguilla
    
    
71. European Conger Eel  ______  in the family CONGRIDAE  (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
    Conger conger
    
    
72. Twaite Shad  ______  in the family CLUPEIDAE
    Alosa fallax fallax
    
    
73. Atlantic Herring  ______  (FGCF:111)  in the family CLUPEIDAE  (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
    Clupea harengus harengus  
    
    
74. Sardina pilchardus  ______  a sardine  in the family CLUPEIDAE
    
    
75. Veiled Anglemouth  ______  in the family GONOSTOMATIDAE (Deepsea Brsitlemouths) 
    Cyclothone microdon
    
    Fish in the genus Cyclothone are known as "Minnows of the Deep".  
    
    
76. Gonostoma bathyphilum  (or Sigmops bathyphilum)  ______  in the family GONOSTOMATIDAE (Deepsea Bristlemouths)
    
    
77. Elongated Bristlemouth Fish  ______  in the family GONOSTOMATIDAE (Deepsea Bristlemouths)
    Gonostoma elongatum
    
    
78. Giant Hatchetfish  ______  in the family STERNOPTCHIDAE (Deepsea Hatchetfish)
    Argyropelecus gigas
    
    The name "giant" is relative. The standard length of the fish is 4.3 inches.
    
    
79. Half-naked Hatchetfish  ______  in the family STERNOPTCHIDAE (Deepsea Hatchetfishes)
    Argyropelecus hemigymnus
    
    1.5 inches in length, the Half-naked Hatchetfish feeds on zooplankton, particularly ostracods and copepods.    
    
    
80. Argyropelecus olfersi  ______  in the family STERNOPTCHIDAE (Deepsea Hatchetfishes) 
    
    
81. Silvery Lightfish  ______   in the family STERNOPTCHIDAE (Deepsea Hatchetfish)
    Maurolicus muelleri  
    
    Other names for Maurolicus muelleri are Mueller's Pearlside, or simply Pearlside. 
    
    
82. Capelin  (*)  ______  (FGCF:117)  in the family OSMERIDAE
    Mallotus villosus
    
    The Capelin is a critical component of the diet of the Atlantic Puffin, a bird that nests on cliffs by the North Atlantic Ocean.
    The food favored by the Puffin varies a bit regionally, but everywhere their diet is made up almost entirely of one or two species.
    In the northwestern Atlantic, the Capelin is the Puffin's preferred prey, sometimes accounting for up to 95 per cent of their diet.
    
    The Capelin is a small silvery fish with a key role in the food chain. They feed on plankton, and they are fed upon by a range of birds, mammals, and other fish. 
    The Capelin is a schooling species that lives in cold, open waters of the arctic and sub-arctic.
    
    Commercial Capelin fisheries catch the fish, that are used mainly for fish meal and oil industry products, and only to a lesser extent for food. Species such as the Atlantic Cod and the Atlantic Puffin are competing with the fisheries for a main food source in their diet.        
    
    Capelin grow to 10 inches in length.
    
    
    
    The Capelin is a favored food of the Atlantic Puffin.
    
    
    
83. Atlantic Salmon  (*)  ______  (FGCF:117) (PAF:8)  in the family SALMONIDAE  (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
    Salmo salar
    
    The Atlantic Salmon has a relatively complex life history that includes spawning, juvenile rearing in rivers, and extensive feeding migrations in the ocean. This fish has its greatest feeding and growth in salt water.
    
    Atlantic Salmons have an extraordinary sense of returning back to the same stream where they were hatched, and doing so it has mystified biologists for hundreds of years.
    
    The coloration of the Atlantic Salmon changes as it grows older. In freshwater, blue and red spots can be marked on their skin, and as they mature those spots disappear and the fish develops a silver blue sheen. At their time of reproduction, the skin color changes to green or red.
    
    Atlantic Salmons spend their first few years in freshwater (small streams and rivers). feeding on aquatic insects and other food that comes in the current. At that stage in their life, they are known as "parr". Most of their time at that stage goes in fighting for food. When spring comes and they reach if size of about 4 inches, they become "smolts" and begin migrating to the ocean.
    
    There are generally 3 recognized groups of Atlantic Salmon: North America, European, and Baltic. 
    Atlantic Salmon reproduce in coastal rivers of northeastern North America, Iceland, Europe, and northwestern Russia. Then the smolts migrate through various parts of the North Atlantic Ocean. At sea, the European and North American types are known to intermingle.
    The Atlantic Salmon has remained a popular fish for human consumption.
    
    Generally throughout its native range, the Atlantic Salmon in the wild is now rare. It is now extensively farmed in Norway, Scotland, and Chile, which provides a good source for a demanding market worldwide.
    
    The striking silver-scaled skin of the Salmon is speckled with black spots. The firm, oily, flamingo-pink flesh of the fish has a delicious flavor. It is available whole and cleaned, filleted or cut into steaks, with or without skin.
    Salmon should be scaled before cooking because the scales will otherwise loosen and stick to the flesh. If filleted, the pinbones should be removed.
    Fresh salmon has a moist, flaky texture and suits a variety of cooking methods including poaching and pan-frying and grilling (broiling) and roasting.   
    A salmon steak requires only 8 to 10 minutes to cook through, and the tail end of the salmon, popular because it is boneless, requires only 4 to 5 minutes cooking. Also salmon can be enjoyed either cold, or hot smoked.
    
    
84. Arctic Char  (ph)  ______  (PAF:8)   in the family SALMONIDAE 
    Salvelinus alpinus
    
    
    
    A serving of Arctic Char at a dinner during the FONT Iceland Tour in June 2015.
    Many meals during the tour were very good, but this was one of the best,
    at the Hotel Ork in the town of Hveragerdi.    (photo by Marie Gardner)   
    
    
85. Pink Salmon  ______   in the family SALMONIDAE
    Oncorhynchus gorbuscha
    
    
86. European Hake  ______   in the family MERLUCCIIDAE  
    Merluccius merluccius
    
    Merluccius merluccius is called the "Herring Hake", as it often feeds on Atlantic Herring, at times voraciously, devouring them in great numbers.
    The European Hake is a night predator. During the day it generally stays at depths from 90 to 1200 feet, although it can be as far down as 3,000 feet below the surface of the water.   
    
    
87. Four-beard Rockling  ______  in the family PHYCIDAE   (species described by Linnaeus in 1766)
    Rhinonemus cimbrius
    
    
88. Greater Forkbeard  ______  in the family PHYCIDAE
    Phycis blennoides
    
    
89. White Hake  ______  (PAF:15)  in the family PHYCIDAE
    Urophycis tenuis
    
    In the western Atlantic Ocean, the White Hake occurs south to North Carolina.
    
    
90. Polar Cod  (or Arctic Cod)  ______  in the family GADIDAE 
    Boreogadus saida
    
    A different species is also known as both Polar Cod, or Arctic Cod. It is Arctogadus glacialis, which occurs pelagically from northern Greenland to the northern Baffin Bay.
    
    
91. Cusk (or Torsk)  _____  (FGCF:127) (PAF:15)  in the family GADIDAE 
    Brosme brosme
    
    Brosme brosme is a bottom-dwelling fish that occurs from Greenland south in both the eastern and western Atlantic. In the western Atlantic, it ranges south to New Jersey.
    
    
92. Five-beard Rockling  ______  in the family LOTIDAE
    Ciliata mustela
    
    
93. Norway Rockling  ______  in the family LOTIDAE 
    Ciliata septentrionalis
    
    
94. Silvery Pout  ______  in the family GADIDAE
    Gadiculus argenteus thori
    
    
95. Atlantic Cod  (t3)  ______  (FGCF:127)   in the family GADIDAE  (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
    Gadus morbua
    
    
    
    Along the north Iceland coast, in the fishing town of Saudarkrokur, 
    by old wooden racks that have been used for drying fish,
    Armas Hill of FONT is looking out to sea for birds.
    During FONT tours, we've stayed in that town, in the oldest hotel in Iceland,
    where we've had many good meals with fish and other seafood.
    Fish noted here in this list have been dried on those racks.
    Birds that we've seen at this place have included both the Iceland Gull
    and the Glaucous Gull, often together.    (photo by Cheryl Pearce)
    
    The above picture was taken in 2006. Nearly 10 years later, the photograph below
    was taken during the FONT tour in Iceland in June 2015.
    (photo by Rise Hill)
    
    
    
    
    
96. Haddock  (t3)  ______  (FGCF:127)  in the family GADIDAE  (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
    Melanogrammus aeglefinus
    
    Haddock is a rather large codfish, usually 20 to 25 inches in length. The largest ever caught in Icelandic waters was 44 inches long.
    
    Haddock is found commonly all around Iceland. During cold periods, it is rather rare in the colder waters off the north coast, but in warmer periods it can be more common in the north than in the south. Mostly it occurs over soft bottom surfaces at depths from 30 to 600 feet.
    
    Haddock is the fish most commonly eaten by Icelanders. They usually prefer it over Cod.
    That may be because over the years Cod, the more common fish in Icelandic waters, has been better suited for salting, and therefore better suited for export.
    
    The processing methods for Haddock are actually fairly similar to those for Cod (apart from the salting).. 
    A large portion of the catch is filleted and frozen at sea by freezer trawlers, or iced at sea and subsequently filleted and frozen in factories on shore.
    A portion of the catch can also be iced at sea and then exported fresh in containers by air. The two major markets for exported Icelandic Haddock are the United Kingdom and the United States.      
    
    
97. Whiting  ______  in the family GADIDAE
    Merlangius merlangus merlangus
    
    
98. Blue Whiting  ______  in the family GADIDAE
    Micromesistius poutassou
    
    
99. Blue Ling  ______  in the family LOTIDAE 
    Molva dypterygia dypterygia 
    
    
100. Ling  ______  in the family LOTIDAE
     Molva molva
     
     
101. Onogadus (or now Gaidropsanus) argentatus  ______  "codfish"   in the family LOTIDAE 
     
     
102. Atlantic Pollack  ______  in the family GADIDAE   (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
     Pollachius pollachius
     
     
103. Pollack  (or Saithe)  ______  (FGCF:127)  in the family GADIDAE  (species described by Linnaeus in 1758) 
     Pollachius virens
     
     
104. Norway Pout  ______  in the family GADIDAE
     Trisopterus esmarki
     
     
105. Threespine Stickleback  ______  in the family GASTEROSTEIDAE
     Gasterosteus aculeatus
     
     
106. Snake Pipefish  ______  in the family SYNGNATHIDAE
     Entelurus aequoreus
     
     
107. Blackbelly Rosefish  ______  (FGCF:179)  in the family SCORPAENIDAE
     Helicolenus dactylopterus dactylopterus
     
     
108. Atlantic Redfish  ______  in the family SCORPAENIDAE
     Sebastes marinus
     
     
109. Beaked Redfish  ______  in the family SCORPAENIDAE
     Sebastes metella
     
     
110. Norway Redfish  ______  in the family SCORPANIDAE
     Sebastes viviparus
     
     
111. Grey Gurnard  ______  in the family TRIGLIDAE
     Eutrigla gurnardus
     
     
112. Atlantic Hookear Sculpin  ______  (FGCF:189)  in the family COTTIDAE 
     Artediellus atlanticus atlanticus
     
     
113. Arctic Staghorn Sculpin  ______  (FGCF:189)  in the family COTTIDAE
     Gymnacanthus tricuspis
     
     
114. Twohorn Sculpin  ______  in the family COTTIDAE 
     Icelus bicornis
     
     
115. Shorthorn Sculpin  ______  (FGCF:191)  in the family COTTIDAE  (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
     Myoxocephalus scorpius scorpius
     
     Another name for Myoxocephalus scorpius is "Father-lasher".
     
     
116. Sea Scorpion  ______  in the family COTTIDAE 
     Taurulus bubalis  
     
     
117. Norway Bullhead  ______  in the family COTTIDAE
     Taurulus lilljeborgi
     
     
118. Moustache Sculpin  ______  (FGCF:191)  in the family COTTIDAE
     Triglops murrayi
     
     
119. Cottunculoides subspinosus  ______  in the family COTTUNCULIDAE 
     
     
120. Polar Sculpin  ______  (FGCF:193)  in the family COTTUNCULIDAE 
     Cottunculus microps
     
     
121. Pallid Sculpin  ______  in the family COTTUNCULIDAE
     Cottunculus thomsoni
     
     
122. Lumpfish  ______  (FGCF:193)  in the family CYCLOPTERIDAE  (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
     Cyclopterus lumpus
     
     
123. Atlantic Spiny Lumpsucker  ______  (FGCF:193) (PAF:52)  in the family CYCLOPTERIDAE
     Eumicrotremus spinosus
     
     
124. Careproctus reinhardti  ______  in the family LIPARIDAE
     
     
125. Gelatinous Seasnail  ______  (PAF:52)   in the family LIPARIDAE
     Liparis fabrici  
     
     
126. Common Seasnail  ______   in the family LIPARIDAE
     Liparis liparis
     
     
127. Montagu's Seasnail  ______   in the family LIPARIDAE
     Liparis montagui
     
     
128. Black Seasnail  ______  in the family LIPARIDAE  
     Paraliparis bathybius
     
     
129. Threadfin Seasnail  ______   in the family LIPARIDAE
     Rhodichthys regina
     
     
130. European Sea Bass  ______  in the family MORONIDAE, was SERRANIDAE  (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
     Dicentrarchus labrax
     
     
131. Atlantic Wreckfish  ______  (FGCF:197) (PAF:24)  in the family POLYPRIONIDAE, was SERRANIDAE
     Polyprion americanus
     
     Another name for Polyprion americanus has been Stonebass.
     
     
132. Common Remora  ______  (FGCF:241)  in the family ECHENEIDIDAE  (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
     Remora remora
     
     
133. Atlantic Horse Mackerel  ______   in the family CARANGIDAE
     Trachurus trachurus
     
     Trachurus trachurus is also known as Scad.
     
     
134. Atlantic Pomfret  ______  (FGCF:253)   in the family BRAMIDAE
     Brama brama
     
     Another name for Brama brama is Ray's Bream.
     
     
135. Rough Pomfret  ______   in the family BRAMIDAE
     Taractes asper
     
     
136. Atlantic Fanfish  ______  (FGCF:255)   in the family BRAMIDAE
     Pterycombus brama
     
     Pterycombus brama is also known as Bream.
     
     
137. Blackspot Seabream  ______  in the family SPARIDAE
     Pagellus bogarareo
     
     Another name for Pagellus bogarareo is Red Sea Bream.
     
     
138. Meagre  ______     in the family SCIAENIDAE
     Argyrosomus regius
     
     
139. Northern Sand-eel  ______  in the family AMMODYTIDAE  
     Ammodytes dubius
     
     The Northern Sand-eel (or Northern Sand Lance as it is called in North America) is said to occur in the northeast Atlantic Ocean and in the western Atlantic from Greenland south to North Carolina.
     
     SAND-EEL is the common name used in Europe for a number of species of fish, mostly in the genera: AMMODYTES, GYMNAMMODYTES, and HYPEROPLUS, all in the family AMMODYTIDAE. 
     Some of the species are found off the western coasts of Europe from Spain to Scotland, and as far north as Iceland, and also in the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas.
     Some other species in the above genera, found in oceans other than the European North Atlantic, are not usually called Sand-eels, but instead Sand Lance, as they are called in North America.  
     Sand-eels are not related to the true eels (earlier in this list).
     
     Sand-eels are an important food source for seabirds, including puffins and kittiwakes.
     
     
     
     The bird, the Atlantic Puffin, in the northwest Atlantic Ocean,
     feeds on Sand-eels.
     
     
140. Raitt's Sand-eel  ______   in the family AMMODYTIDAE  (species described in 1934)
     Ammodytes marinus
     
     
141. Lesser Sand-eel  ______  in the family AMMODYTIDAE   (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
     Ammodytes tobianus
     
     
142. Great Sand-eel  ______   in the family AMMODYTIDAE
     Hyperoplus lanceolatus
     
     
143. Black Gemfish  ______  (FGCF:377)   in the family GEMPYLIDAE
     Nesiarchus nasutus
     
     Nesiarchus nasutus is generally south of Icelandic waters, in warmer temperate seas. 
     
     
144. Atlantic Mackerel  ______  (FGCF:381)   in the family SCOMBRIDAE  (described by Linnaeus in 1758)
     Scomber scombrus
     
     
145. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna  (t2)  ______  (FGCF:385)   in the family SCOMBRIDAE, formerly THUNNIDAE  (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
     Thunnus thynnus
     
     Another name for Thunnus thynnus is Tunny. It grows up to 11 feet in length.
     
     The Atlantic Bluefin Tuna is pelagic, highly migratory, and a very fast swimmer. Juveniles stay in warm water. Adults enter cold water.  
     
     
146. Swordfish  ______  (FGCF:385)  in the family XIPHIIDAE  (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
     Xiphias gladius
     
     Swordfish prefer water temperatures between 64 and 72 degrees F., but it does have the widest tolerance among the billfish, and it can be found in water as cold as 41 degrees.
     it is a highly migratory species that typically moves toward colder regions to feed during the summer.  
     
     The Swordfish grows up to 14.7 feet in length.
     
     
147. Witch Flounder  ______  (FGCF:403) (PAF:57)   in the family PLEURONECTIDAE   (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
     Glyptocephalus cynoglossus
     
     
148. American Plaice  ______  (FGCF:403) (PAF:57)   in the family PLEURONECTIDAE  (Right-eye Flounders)
     Hippoglossoides platessoides
     
     
149. Atlantic Halibut  (t2)  ______  (FGCF:403) (PAF:57)  in the family PLEURONECTIDAE   (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
     Hippoglossus hippoglossus
     
     The Atlantic Halibut has been the largest flatfish in the North Atlantic Ocean, reaching 8 feet in length and weighing up to 700 pounds. Now, it seldom reaches 400 pounds in weight.
     
     
150. Common Dab  ______   in the family PLEURONECTIDAE   (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
     Limanda limanda
     
     
151. Lemon Sole  ______   in the family PLEURONECTIDAE   
     Microstomus kitt
     
     Lemon Sole is a misnomer, as the fish is not a real sole, nor does it have the taste of lemon.
     
     
152. European Plaice  ______   in the family PLEURONECTIDAE   (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
     Pleuronectes platessa
     
     
153. Greenland Halibut  ______  (FGCF:405) (PAF:57)   in the family PLEURONECTIDAE
     Reinhardtius hippoglossoides
     
     The Greenland Halibut is also called Greenland Turbot. It occurs to a depth of a mile below sea level, and in cold waters of about 32 degrees F. It grows to 40 inches in length, and to 25 pounds in weight. 
     
     
154. Ocean Sunfish  (ph)  ______  (FGCF:427) (PAF:61)   in the family MOLIDAE   (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
     Mola mola
     
     The Ocean Sunfish grows to 11.5 feet in length, and can weigh up to 2 tons. It is the largest bony fish in the world.
     
     Preferring warmer water further south, the Ocean Sunfish does not normally occur in Icelandic waters. But in early September 2004, one was caught near Reykjavik. The fish was dying before it was pulled from the sea.
     
     
     
     INVERTEBRATES
     
     those of the OPEN OCEAN:
     
     
     COMB JELLIES  (Class Nuda)    gelatinous zooplankton
     
     
155. Beroe cucumis  ______  (PAS:32)  a comb jelly   in the phylum CTENOPHORA, the order BEROIDA, the family BEROIDAE 
     
     
     CNIDARIANS (including jellyfish)   CNIDARIA is a phylum
     
     
     JELLYFISH  (in the subphylum MEDUSOZOA)
     
     
     Class STAUROZOA    Staurozoans are "stalked jellyfish"
     
     
156. Haliclystus octoradiatus  ______   a stalked jellyfish, in the order STAUROMEDUSAE
     
     
157. Halimocyathus legena  ______  in the order STAUROMEDUSAE
     
     
     Class SCYPHOZOA    Scyphozoans are "true jellyfish"
     
     
158. Lion's Mane  (ph)  ______  (ASC:514) (PAS:31)   in the order SEMAEOSTOMEAE 
     Cyanea capillata
     
     The Lion's Mane is the largest jellyfish in the world. Specimens up to 8 feet wide have been found.
     
     In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's story, "The Adventure of the Lion's Mane", Sherlock Holmes solves a homicide caused by contact between the victim and this medusa in a tidepool.
     
     
     
     Lion's Mane
     
     
159. Blue Jellyfish  ______   in the order SEMAEOSTOMEAE
     Cyanea lamarckii
     
     Cyanea lamarckii is of occasional occurrence in Icelandic waters.
     
     
160. Moon Jellyfish  (ph) (*)  ______  (ASC:502) (PAS:31)  in the order SEMAEOSTOMEAE  (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
     Aurelia aurita
     
     
     
     Moon Jellyfish
     Above on a beach; below in the water 
     
     
     
     
     
161. Atolla parva  ______   a crown jellyfish, in the order CORONATAE
     
     Atolla parva is said to occur deep in Iceland waters.
     
     
162. Helmet Jellyfish  ______  in the order CORONATAE
     Periphylla periphylla
     
     The Helmet Jellyfish is in deeper offshore Icelandic waters, mostly off the southern and southwestern coasts of the country. 
     
     
     MOLLUSKS  (SHELLS)  in the Phylum MOLLUSCA
     
     
     SEASHELLS are made by MOLLUSKS. 
     
     MOLLUSKS are invertebrate animals that produce shells of one or two pieces that wholly or partially enclose a soft body.
     
     SHELLS are the skeletons of MOLLUSKS. Like the internal skeleton (endoskeleton) of a mammal, the external skeleton (exoskeleton) of mollusks function both for protection and as a place for muscle attachment. 
     A SHELL found on a beach is the skeletal remnant of a dead MOLLUSK.
     
     MOLLUSKS are either snail-like animals with one shell (UNIVALVES, or GASTROPODS),  or clam-like animals with two shells (BIVALVES). The two shells of a BIVALVE are held tightly together when the animal is alive.
     
     A third group of MOLLUSKS are the CEPHALOPODS, including SQUIDS and OCTOPUSES. These animals lack external shells, having instead internal or rudimentary shells.  
     
     
     CHITONS  (Class Polyplacophora)
     
     
163. Greater Marbled Chiton  ______  in the family ISCHNOCHITONIDAE 
     Tonicella marmorea
     
     
     GASTROPODS  (Class Gastropoda): snail-like mollusks with a one-part shell
     
     
164. Greenland Wentletrap  ______  (ASC:394)  ranges from the Arctic south to Long Island, NY 
     Epitonium greenlandicum
     
     
165. Rough Periwinkle  ______  (PAS:20)   in the family LITTORINIDAE 
     Littorina saxatilis
     
     The Rough Periwinkle has been a common inhabitant of Icelandic shores since the last glacial period.
     It is found down to a water depth of about 1800 feet.  
     
     
166. Iceland Moon Shell  ______   ranges south from the Arctic Ocean, in the western Atlantic to Virginia
     Amauropsis islandica
     
     The Iceland Moon Shell occurs in moderately deep water.  
     
     
167. Nassarius (or Hinia) incrassatus  ______
     
     Nassarius species are Dog Whelks  (PAS:20).
     
     
168. Nassarius macrodon  ______
     
     
169. Common Whelk  ______  (ASC:408) (PAS:22)  in the family BUCCINIDAE  (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
     Buccinum undatum
     
     Another name for Buccinum undatum is Waved Whelk. It occurs in the Arctic, and in North America as far south as New Jersey.
     In Europe and Britain, it is the common edible whelk.
     
     Masses of egg capsules of Buccinum undatum (called "Sea Wash Balls") found on beaches produce a soapy lather if scrubbed with water.
     
     The Common Whelk is a scavenger on dead fish. 
     
     
170. Neptune Whelk  ______
     Neptunea despecta
     
     
171. Atlantic Dogwinkle  ______  (PAS:20)  (also called Dogwhelk)  in the family MURICIDAE 
     Thais (or Nucella) lapillus
     
     Thais lapillus was described by Linnaeus in 1758. It ranges in the Arctic, also in northern Europe, and in North America as far south as Long Island.
     
     The Dogwinkle is a drill, mainly intertidal. It favors rocky shores, where it eats mussels and Striped (or Acorn) Barnacles. 
     
     Several other species of whelks occur in Iceland waters.
     
     
     BIVALVES  (Class Bivalva) 
     
     
     MUSSELS are popular bivalve molluscs that have oval blue-black shells. The mussel meat varies in color from a deep ochre to pale taupe, depending on where they have been harvested. 
     Mussels are harvested in the wild, but they are also extensively farmed on ropes or stakes and in sheltered beds. They are commonly regarded as one of the most sustainable types of seafood.
     
     Available year-round, mussels are at times sold live in the shell, while at other times and places precooked or canned in brine or vinegar. Smoked mussels are also available.
     
     Although most commercially available mussels are farmed, which guarantees a high level of cleanliness, they should still be thoroughly scrubbed under cold, running water, but not left to soak in the water.
     
     Mussels should be discarded if they broken or damaged shells or open ones that do not shut immediately when sharply tapped (referring to live mussels).
     
     With a sweet flavor and creamy texture, mussels can be steamed with lemon and parsley, or stuffed and baked to make a classic antipasti.
     A substitute for mussels can be clams.
     
     
172. Blue Mussel  (ph)  ______  (ASC:293) (PAS:24)  in the family MYTILIDAE
     Mytilus edulis
     
     Another name for Mytilus edulis is Common Mussel. It is circumpolar in distribution. In the western Atlantic Ocean, it occurs south to South Carolina. 
     
     Myytilus edulis compete with barnacles and seaweeds to cover intertidal rocks and pilings.
     
     The Blue Mussel is deliciously edible.  
     
     
     
     Above: shells of Blue Mussel
     Below: not only do people enjoy the taste of mussels,
     so do cats, including this one named Herman.
     (lower photo by Rise Hill)
     
     
     
     
     
173. Northern Horse Mussel  ______  in the family MYTILIDAE  (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
     Modiolus modiolus 
     
     
     The following genus, Chlamys, is in the family PECTINIDAE, the SCALLOPS.
     
     With pretty fan-shaped corrugated shells, scallops are an appreciated shellfish found in most oceans of the world.
     Scallops are bivalve molluscs, but unlike others, they live in deeper waters and move freely by expelling water from their shells.
     
     Scallops are both harvested in the wild and farmed in some countries. Harvesting by hand-divers is more environmentally sound than dredging.
     
     A freshly opened scallop reveals a fill or skirt around the edge, gills and intestinal sac, all of which are discarded.
     The edible jewels are the white disc of meat (abductor muscle) and the coral-colored roe. The white meat is sweet, succulent and tender, while the coral has a stronger flavor. In some countries, the coral is either dried for use in sauces or discarded altogether.
     Scallop dishes are often served in the shells so even if one is buying prepared scallops, it's worth asking the fish store for the upper, curved half-shell.
     
     The simplest way of enjoying scallops is to pan-fry them, which sears the outside and makes the scallops particularly sweet. They may be served with mayonnaise or with oil and lemon juice, or even skewered with vegetables.          
     
     
174. Iceland Scallop  ______  (ASC:355)   occurs from the Arctic Ocean south to Maine, and locally to Cape Cod. 
     Chlamys islandicus
     
     
175. Black Clam  ______  (ASC:339) (PAS:28)   occurs south to Cape Cod, and offshore in deeper water to North Carolina 
     Arctica islandica
     
     Another name for Arctica islandica is Ocean Quahog. The species was described by Linnaeus in 1767. 
     
     A key characteristic of Arctica islandica is its amazing lifespan. Scientists at Bangor University have recently found a specimen that lived for more than 500 years, making the species the longest-lived non-colonial animal so far discovered. 
     As with trees, Arctica islandica deposits annual bands in its shell and these can be used to determine its age. From the bands, changes can be analyzed relating to sea temperatures over the centuries, and because Arctica islandica is apparently resistant to some common indictors of ageing, it has the potential for research into that process in various forms of life.
     
        
     
     Above & below: Black Clam 
     In the lower photo, showing the black outside
     and the white inside  
     
          
     
     
176. Common Cockle  ______  in the family CARDIIDAE  (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)
     Cardium edule
     
     The Common Cockle is really no so common in Iceland.
     
     
177. Iceland Cockle  ______  (PAS:26)  in the family CARDIIDAE   occurs from Greenland and Iceland south to Massachusetts
     Climcardium ciliatum 
     
     Called the Iceland Cockle, but the range of Climcardium ciliatum in the North Atlantic is said to be from Greenland to Massachusetts. It also occurs in the North Pacific from Alaska to Puget Sound in Washington State. 
     
     
     
     Iceland Cockle
     
     
     CLAMS have a round, meaty body with a small amount of roe, and they come in a myriad of sizes and colors.
     
     Clams as seafood are usually sold live because they deteriorate rapidly after death. Some, however, are cooked, extracted from the shell and canned in brine or juice or packed in vinegar.
     When obtained live, clams should either be cooked immediately or stored briefly in a refrigerator. Water should not be added as it would kill them.
     
     To prepare clams, they should be rinsed thoroughly under cold, running water to remove as much grit as possible. The shells should be closed, or close immediately when sharply tapped. Any that either remain open or have cracked or damaged shells should be discarded. 
     
     Clams can be eaten raw if they are properly treated when harvested or if they come from very clean water. 
     After shucking, they can be served with a sauce or lemon juice.
     
     Clams are often steamed in a small quantity of liquid, such as stock, wine, or water, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the shell has opened completely. If cooked too long, they become tough. 
     They may be eaten straight from the shell or removed to be with sauces or salads. 
     The cooking liquid is a flavorsome addition to calm dishes, but should be filtered through a strainer to remove any traces of grit.
     
     In the eastern US, clam chowders of various kinds, are popular.                       
     
     
178. Soft-shelled Clam  ______  (ASC:316) (PAS:28)   from the Subarctic south to Cape Hatteras, NC 
     Mya arenaria
     
     Mya arenaria is also known, in various places, as the Long Neck Clam or Steamer Clam.
     
     
     SQUIDS  (Class Cephalopoda)
     
     Several cephalopod species have been found to be in Icelandic waters.  
     
     
179. Giant Squid  ______
     Architeuthis sp.
     
     
180. European Flying Squid  ______   
     Todaroides sagittatus  
     
     
     CRUSTACEANS
     
     
181. Striped Barnacle  ______  in the family BALANOIDES 
     Amphibalanus amphitrite
     
     Other names for Amphilbalanus amphitrite are Purple Acorn Barnacle or Amphitrite's Rock Barnacle.
     
     
182. Northern Rock Barnacle (or Common Rock Barnacle)  ______  (ASC:278,286) (PAS:18)  in the family ARCHAEOBALANIDAE
     Balanus (or Semibalanus) balanoides
     
     In North America, Balanus balanoides occurs as far south as Delaware. 
     
     
183. Balanus crenatus  ______   in the family ARCHAEOBALANIDAE
     
     
184. Pelagic Gooseneck Barnacle  ______  (PAS:17)   in the family LEPADIDAE
     Lepas anatifera
     
     Other names for Lepas anatifera are Smooth Gooseneck Barnacle and Common Gooseneck Barnacle.
     
     Lepas anatifera is found attached to floating timber. Also, the hulls of ships, piers, pilings, seaweed and flotsam.
     The range of the species includes Iceland, the Faeroe Islands, Spitzbergen, Norway, and the Shetland Islands.
     
     During FONT tours, a considerable amount of floating timber has been noted along the northern shoreline in Iceland.
     
     
     ISOPODS
     
     There are 7 species, in 4 genera, of ISOPODS in offshore Iceland oceanic waters.
     
     
185. Aega arctica  ______
     
     
186. Aega psora  ______  (species described by Linnaeus in 1758)  the 3rd most common isopod in Icelandic waters
     
     
187. Aega ventrosa  ______  the most common isopod in Icelandic waters
     
     
188. Cirolana borealis  ______  the 2nd most common isopod in Icelandic waters
     
     
189. Eurydica affinis  ______
     
     
190. Speckled Sea Louse  ______
     Eurydica pulchra  
     
     
191. Northern Krill  (or Horned Krill)  ______  (ASC:605)   (in north-west Iceland in the Isafjord-Deep)
     Meganyctiphanes norvegica 
     
     
192. Thysanoessa inermis  ______  (in north-west Iceland in the Isafjord-Deep)
     
     
193. Thysanoessa raschi  ______  (in northwest-Iceland in the Isafjord-Deep) 
     
     
194. Spiny Lebbeid  (or Greenland Shrimp)  ______  (ASC:612)  
     Lebbeus groenlandicus
     
     Lebbeus groenlandicus is a common benthic shrimp of the circum-Arctic and far-northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
     
     
195. Norway Lobster  (ph)  ______  (known in Iceland as "Scampi", other names are noted below) 
     Nephrops norvegicus  
     
     Closely related to the genus Homarus (the lobsters in northeastern North America and mainland Europe) is the genus Nephrops, a genus now with a single species in Europe, Nephrops norvegicus, known as the Norwegian Lobster and other names including scampi, lobsterettes, and langoustine.
     
     LANGOUSTINE (Nephrops norvegicus) are coral in color and become paler upon cooking. Most of its weight is made up of shell, with slender claws, tiny legs, and a long carapace (head shell).
     Langoustine is not commonly available in the United States, and it can be replaced with large fresh shrimp (prawns) of crawfish.
     
     The only edible part of langoustines is the tail, which is sweet, succulent, and tender, not unlike a lobster.
     
     Langoustines may be poached in a bouillon, roasted, or split in half, brushed with butter or oil and grilled (broiled) to be enjoyed straight from the shell, again much like a lobster in the genus Homarus. 
     
     Langoustines, or Scampi, is small compared to other lobster species and is in fact not considered a "lobster" by everyone.
     The Scampi in Iceland, however, is larger, compared to the Nephrops in other European waters. Fully grown, males in Icelandic waters are about 9.8 inches from the eyes to the tail. Females are smaller, rarely more than 7 inches. 
     
     In Iceland, Scampi, "the Delicacy of the North", is found in the warmer waters off the southern, southwestern, and southeastern coasts.
     The town of Hofn is called the "Scampi capital" of Iceland. 
     Hofn has a long and proud history of history of harvesting and processing shellfish. 
     
     During our FONT tours in Iceland, we've stayed overnight in that coastal town of Hofn, and we have enjoyed a number of meals there, including the good seafood.       
     
     
     
     The "Scampi", or Norway Lobster, the "Langoustine", 
     painted on the side of a fishery building in Iceland.
     Why the words are in French? No idea.
     (photo by Rise Hill during the FONT Iceland Tour in June 2015)
      
     
     
     CRABS
     
     There are several species of CRABS around Iceland, but there is no significant harvesting.
     The legs and claws of seemingly the most common Icelandic crab, the Spider Crab, are small, not providing much crab meat.  Otherwise, the Spider Crab is suitable for soup making. 
     
     
196. Common Green Crab  ______  (ASC:664) (PAS:61)   occurs south in North America to New Jersey
     Carcinus maenas
     
     
197. Spider Crab  ______  (ASC:660,661) (PAS:60)   occurs south in North America to Rhode Island 
     Hyas araneus
     
     The Spider Crab is abundant around Iceland. In other places, south of Iceland, Hyas araneus is known as the Toad Crab. 
     
     
198. Spiny Crab  ______  (PAS:60)
     Lithodes maja
     
     The Spiny Crab occurs in low numbers in deeper Icelandic waters, at depths of about 200 feet or more. It is sometimes brought in by fisherman due to its unusual appearance. 
     Its shell is strongly spined. Its abdomen is asymmetrical. Lithodes maja grows to be 4 inches long.  
     
     
199. Atlantic Rock Crab  ______  (ASC:650,654) (PAS:61)  occurs south in North America to South Carolina
     Cancer irrotatus
     
     The Atlantic Rock Crab occurs in shallower waters around Iceland. They give more meat than Spider Crabs, but in Iceland they are rarer.
     
     
     ECHINODERMS
     
     
     ASTEROIDS  in the Class Stelleroidea: including SEA STARS
     
     "Sea Star" is preferred to "Star Fish" as that term is a misnomer as "fish" are finny vertebrates.
     
     
200. Common Sea Star  ______  (ASC:547,559)
     Asterias rubens  (has been Asterias vulgaris)
      
     
     Class Echinoidea: SEA URCHINS and SEA CUCUMBER
      
     
201. Green Sea Urchin  ______  (ASC:523)
     Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis
     
     The Green Sea Urchin is relatively common all around Iceland. 
     Fisheries for this and the following species (the Sea Cucumber) are now relatively low in Iceland. Sea Urchin fisheries reached 1500 tons in 1994, but soon afterwards the market collapsed and since then catches have been low.
     In Iceland, Sea Urchin roe is frozen. 
     
     
202. Sea Cucumber  ______  
     Cucumaria frondosa
     
     The Sea Cucumber is relatively common all around Iceland. 
     In Iceland, Sea Cucumbers are smoked (as in "smoked salmon", a type of preparation, not "smoked" as a cigarette).  
     
     
     

References include:

"Sea Life - A Complete Guide to the Marine Environment", edited by Geoffrey Waller, with principal contributors Marc Dando & Michael Burchett, 1996.  

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