How to use this site. The initial page is a current list of scientific names, of species occurring within the park -- each name linked to a species by family. (Additional lists are included by common names or a list by Samoan names.) If illustrations are available, thumbnail pictures on the family list pages link to enlarged photos. There is an entry list by scientific names listed phylogenically (click here to go to the phylogenetic list).

The Stony Corals are extensive in Samoa and they are listed and illustrated at a separate site, Corals of the National Park of American Samoa. Click here to visit the coral site, but first bookmark this age for easy return.

Or, you can browse pages of illustrations arranged by family. Holding your curser on the image will pop up the plant name. (There, clicking on any image jumps to the enlarged photo).

Plate 1. Sponges to Worms
Plate 2. Shells, Patella Shells to Worm Shells
Plate 3. Shells, Cowries to Giant Clams
Plate 4. Sea Slugs to Nudibranchs
Plate 5. Oysters to Barnacles
Plate 6. Crabs
Plate 7. Feather Stars
Plate 8. Starfish
Plate 9. Brittlestars
Plate 10. Urchins
Plate 11. Sea Cucumbers
Plate 12. Chordates

This page was developed from the National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring website--an intranet site as yet not generally available to the public. The data are from a report on invertebrates of the National Park of American Samoa dated 24 September 2007.

Other sources augmenting that list of species listed here are:

Goldin, Meryl. 2002. Field Guide to the Samoan Archipelago. Bess Press, Honolulu,

Madrigal, Larry. 1999. Field Guide of Shallow Water Marine Invertebrates of American Samoa. ASG Dept of Education. 132 pp., and

Photographs and notes from the staff at the National Park of American Samoa

The NPS Inventorying and Monitoring site is a work in progress at this time. It is expected to be on line to the public in a few more years.

National Park Service contacts: <bryan_harry@partner.nps.gov> or <peter_craig@nps.gov>
Page last updated 10 November 2009.