Marine life of New York–New Jersey Harbor Estuary

Animal species

Arthropods

• American lobster - Massachusetts Bay is not the only home of the lobster on the East Coast. Usually found south of the Verrazano Bridge, near the Southwestern end of Long Island and just off Sandy Hook. Often attracted to artificial reefs found near Lower New York Bay, where they can reach very large sizes, and just offshore near Ocean County, New Jersey. Depredation by man within the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary is extremely rare.
• Atlantic rock crab - A common crab found on the continental shelf within ten miles of shoreline. Found in all parts of the estuary. There is some concern over it competing with the invasive European green crab for habitat, but it is believed that the presence of Callinectes genera in the bight may offer some refuge as it has been shown that the swimmer crabs of this genus like to prey upon the smaller green crab.
• Blue crab - Also known as the blue claw crab. The crabs are typically found in the mouth of the Hudson River and occasionally wander into the brackish waters of small rivers and coves that pepper the western side of Long Island, including the waters just off Coney Island. Up the Hudson they are found occasionally in the part of the river that runs through the lower Hudson Valley in the summertime. Up until the 1960s they could be eaten, but the State of New York currently recommends against attempting to do so on a regular basis, due to bioaccumulation of PCBs and cadmium that were discovered in the crabs in the 1970s. On the upside, a lack of hunting by man has caused this crab's numbers to grow heartily while others have decreased. Females bearing eggs should be let go immediately because if they are not it affects the next generation.
• Ghost crab - Common sight after twilight scurrying along the beaches of western Long Island and the planktonic larvae is found all throughout the estuary.
• Atlantic horseshoe crab - A common visitor to Breezy Point, Rockaways, and Coney Island. Numbers in peril but not yet a candidate as an endangered species.
• Lady crab
• Portly spider crab A species of decorator crab. Should not be eaten on account of horrible taste.
• Ivory barnacle
• Northern rock barnacle
• Asian shore crab
• Common Spider Crab
• Green Crab This species is an invasive species originally from Europe that has been present in all waters of the State of New York for many decades. It is a swimmer crab that is present in most parts of the harbor and is easily distinguished from the blue crab by being much smaller and a dull green color.
• Black fingered mud crab
• Gammarid Amphipod
• Corophid amphipod
• Skeleton Shrimp
• Shore Shrimp, Grass Shrimp
• Sea Roach
• White fingered mud crab

  Chordates

Birds

• American herring gull A common sight that is present almost year round. Some will nest on the many tall buildings afforded in all five boroughs, none of which is more than a few miles from the water.
• American oystercatcher
• American wigeon
• Bald eagle - Has been seen up the Hudson River every winter consistently for well over a decade, feeding on a wide variety of both freshwater and saltwater fish. Has also been seen using the New Jersey Palisades and piers near the Harlem River as a perch from which to swoop down and grab its quarry in the estuary. Will occasionally make itself known in the Lower Harbor seeking schools of mackerel.
• Black bellied plover
• Black-crowned night heron
• Black skimmer
• Brant
• Brown pelican This bird migrates north from the Chesapeake and Outer Banks in the late spring and does not go back until roughly late September. Occasionally will perch on docks. Prefers alewives and mossbunker; should not be fed so much as a morsel if found on the docks as it can become habituated to humans and an unhealthy diet.
• Canada goose
• Glossy ibis A common bird in the summertime in Jamaica Bay and in the shallows on the Pelham Islands.
• Great blue heron Often found on Staten Island near the water.
• Green heron ' Will take to feeding in the Bronx River in summertime.
• Mallard The most common dabbling duck in the region. A common visitor to brackish portions of the lower Raritan as well as Staten Island.
• Northern gannet ' A member of the booby family. Will dive head first into the water after fish.
• Osprey - A very common sight in the skies over western Long Island, especially during the nesting months. Easily seen near Jamaica Bay.
• Piping plover -''A bird that likes to nest on beaches like the ones near Rockaways and the Pelham Islands. This plover in particular is very tiny and beachgoers must mind their step near sand dunes as they can be missed. Has a pleasant sounding call. Likes to nest on sandy beaches and can be difficult to see during nesting season, as it tries to camouflage itself. This is a very nervous, endangered species that must remain unmolested during nesting as it will abandon its eggs if stressed; birdwatchers are advised to remain very, very quiet and to maintain a long distance from the nest so as not to frighten the bird.
• Snowy egret A common visitor to streams and salt marshes in the summer. Will on rare occasions be found foraging and relaxing in parks and rivers in the estuary system like the Bronx River.
• Yellow-crowned night heron - Nests on some of the uninhabited islands in the harbor and feasts upon the fish in the ocean and frogs in the streams and ponds in parks.

  Fish

• Alewife
• American anglerfish ' Easily the homeliest fish in the water; often sold under the name monkfish in farmer's markets. Prefers the deepest parts of the estuary and Sandy Hook.
• American butterfish
• American eel -Numbers are low; currently on IUCN redlist. Should gently put back exactly where it was found and not bought from any vendor nor taken home to eat anywhere in New York or New Jersey. Will travel thousands of miles to reproduce in Sargasso Sea every year. The Hudson River is a known haunt of this fish as is Upper New York Bay.
• American shad Anadramous fish that once was found as far inland as Bridgewater New Jersey and a former abundant resident of the Raritan River showing signs of returning.
• American silver perch '
• Atlantic croaker
• Atlantic herring
• Atlantic menhaden -Also known as mossbunker. This fish is a success story. In the 1940s and 1950s, the waters of the Estuary were very badly polluted and had been polluted since at least the mid 19th century. By the time of the Clean Water Act, the waters surrounding New York City were ecologically dead or dying. As of 2018, however, the water is clean enough to support this fish in obscenely large numbers, which have in turn triggered the return of whales, dolphins, and sharks to the harbor.
• Atlantic moonfish ' Likes to school in large numbers.
• Atlantic needlefish
• Atlantic silverside
• Atlantic sturgeon - Found in the depths of Upper New York Bay, in the main channel of the Hudson River. Increasingly rare on the East Coast, but New York Bay and the Hudson are known strongholds where locals do not hunt this fish. If found, it should be released at once.
• Banded killifish '
• Bay anchovy '
• Black drum
• Black seabass '
• Blueback herring
• Bluefish
• Cunner
• Crevalle jack '
• Foureye butterflyfish '
• Fourspot flounder '
• Gizzard shad
• Hogchoker
• Lined seahorse Found all over the harbor and Sandy Hook. A species that should be gently put back exactly where it was found if caught, or as close to seagrass as possible. Numbers are threatened by collectors seeking Traditional Chinese Medicine. Should not be purchased at all from such vendors.
• Mummichog
• Northern pipefish
• Northern sea robin '
• Northern puffer -A member of the blowfish family. Also known as a sugar toad. This is one of the only members of the blowfish family that is nowhere near as toxic as its Japanese and Chinese relatives. However, trying to catch this fish let alone eat it is dangerous as it can be mistaken for at least five other blowfish native to the Western Atlantic, two of which occasionally leave their normal ranges in warm weather and wind up in New York. Each of these lookalikes have an extremely deadly toxin in their flesh that humans cannot taste or smell. Techniques sushi chefs use on preparing fugu will not work with these fish since they are a different species with the poison in different parts and it is imperative that all New Yorkers and New Jerseyans know the source of the catch when eating in Asian restaurants, where immigrant owners might not be aware of the difference.
• Ocean sunfish ' This fish can grow to gigantic sizes. May be found near entrance to Lower New York Bay. Very docile in spite of enormous size; it resembles a giant floating pancake with fins and will from time to time float near the surface.
• Oyster toadfish Very commonly found haunting the piers and docks.
• Red hake
• Rough scad '
• Sand lance. An important food source for harbor seals and grey seals as well as many baleen whales. Found in New York Bight as well as the estuary on the seabed.
• Scup
• Shortnose Sturgeon Another dweller in the Hudson and East River. Smaller than its cousin the Atlantic sturgeon. Should be put back where it was found if caught as it was placed on the Endangered Species List in 1967 and still is vulnerable. Spawning should occur around April.
• Silver hake '
• Skillet fish
• Smallmouth flouder '
• Striped bass - One of the most prevalent species in the harbor, and the most extensively fished one. The Hudson River Estuary system has been a nursery for stripers going back before European settlement and overall it is one of the most important breeding grounds for this species in the Northeast.
• Striped burrfish ' -A member of the blowfish family, but very different looking than any relative in the area owing to the spikes on its skin when it blows up. Hazardous to step on. Present in the harbor in late summer.
• Striped sea robin '
• Striped mullet
• Summer flounder
• Tautog Locally known also as the blackfish. Attracted to artificial reefs and natural shoals in the estuary.
• Tomcod
• Weakfish
• White mullet '
• White perch
• Windowpane flounder '
• Winter flounder
• Yellowtail flounder

  Elasmobranch Fish: Sharks, Skates, And Rays

• Basking shark ' Second largest species of shark in the world, but this shark is a filter feeder and not a predator. It can be mistaken for the great white owing to similar coloring, but has gill slits that slash almost around its whole head and has a front dorsal fin that is more triangular than the raked shape found in that of the great white.
• Blue shark Prionace glauca Not an aggressive species in particular with few records of attacks to its name, but a larger species. Can grow to ten feet long and has a slender build.
• Bull shark Historically responsible for an incident in Matawan, New Jersey in 1916 that inspired the film Jaws, this species is known to be more and aggressive than the larger great white, which cannot survive in fresh water. Bull sharks can swim up freshwater rivers and are present in the area from May–September.
• Great white shark One of the largest living species of shark that can grow to about 20 feet long, with average lengths of 15-16 ft. for females, and 11-13 for males. As of 2018, research indicates the return of this most feared shark. In 2016, scientists discovered what is thought to be a white shark nursery off Montauk, where a large number of juveniles indicates a nearby nursery. The great white can reach the other end of Long Island within a matter of 24 hours. Great whites are categorized as vulnerable and should not be hunted.
• Nurse shark Will occasionally visit artificial reefs.
• Sandbar shark Common near Sandy Hook. Growing presence nearer to New York City.
• Sand tiger shark New York Harbor is an important nursery for the babies.
• Scalloped hammerhead. Mature females grow to about 13 feet long. This species is rarely aggressive and mostly bites out of fear. The young of this species will form schools in estuaries. Babies are often caught in New York Harbor.
• Shortfin mako shark May be dangerous to divers. Like the bull shark, they are ambush predators. The waters of the New York Bight and New York Harbor are naturally cloudy. This shark species is categorized as endangered and is threatened by shark finning and overfishing.

Mammals

• Bottlenose dolphin
• Grey seal Can be distinguished from the harbor seal by its larger size, W shaped nostrils, and preference to lay flopped out with its back flippers down when resting out of the water. Will rest on jetties.
• Harbor seal - Historically both pinniped species were abundant natives in the harbor until hunting and other human activity extirpated them from the area by at least the late 19th century: there is a section of the harbor that was historically known as "Robbins Reef. " Robyn is the Dutch word for seal, proving their existence long before the American Revolution. In , however, these two species, along with the some more typically northerly seal species like the harp seal have been found in the harbor in pursuit of some of the species mentioned above; others are yearlings who are continuing the trend on the U.S. East Coast of seals reclaiming former habitat, heading southward from mother populations in New England and Canada and from more easterly parts of Long Island. Colonies of harbor seals and greys are increasing their numbers with every passing year and will be seen in the area from December through April. Occasionally this species will swim upstream in the Hudson River.
• Harbor porpoise - Has been seen in Upper New York Bay.
• North American river otter - Native to the Hudson River and occasionally is seen at the mouth of the river. Restoration efforts by the state of New York are underway and appear to be successful.

• Blue whale The largest of all whale species, and one of the rarest. Can be found just off Sandy Hook.
• Fin whale The second largest species of whale. Will enter the Upper Harbor and has been seen off Coney Island. This is the fastest swimming whale found in the estuary.
• Humpback whale Among whales, one of the most common visitors to the Harbor as of 2018. Records going back over 300 years are very clear that whales were present in the area in historical times and only disappeared after the water became saturated with the garbage of humans. Usually humpbacks appear in the harbor around April and will not leave until late October: New York City and its surrounding waters are dead in the middle of their migration route, a huge territory that begins in Newfoundland, runs through New England, passes into the waters of Florida and the American South, and terminates in a strait between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. The estuary is an excellent pit stop for mother whales wanting to teach their calves how to catch the fish that have returned in numbers not seen in over a century. In 2017 one humpback whale made international news when it breached in front of a camera less than a few miles from Battery Park and raised awareness that whales have "come home" at last to New York.
• Minke whale
• North Atlantic right whale Extremely endangered. Less than 400 are left in the world. New York and New Jersey are in the center of its migration route between Florida and the Bay of Fundy in Canada. Great care must be taken around this species of whale as most cannot outswim jet propelled boats and are frequent victims of ship strikes. All sightings should be reported to authorities like the Coast Guard or NYPD at once, for every member of this species is precious to its continued survival.

Tunicates

• Golden star tunicate
• Chain tunicate
• Orange sheath tunicate
• Sea grapes
• Sea vase

  Cnidarians

• Moon jellyfish A common sight that washes up on the shores of Rockaways, Queens every summer.
• Lion's mane jellyfish '' The largest known jellyfish. Prefers the deepest waters just past the Verazzano Bridge and near Sandy Hook.
• White cross hydromedusa
• Tubular hydroid

  Corals

• Northern cup coral

  Echinoderms

• Atlantic starfish
• Northern sea star

  Mollusks

Bivalves

• Atlantic bay scallop
• Atlantic jackknife clam Also known as a bamboo clam or razor clam.
• Atlantic ridged marsh mussel
• Atlantic strawberry cockle
• Atlantic surf clam A species that is much prized as a food source. Very common near Sandy Hook.
• Blue mussel
• Coquina A very small species that is found where the tide meets the sand.
• Eastern oyster - Once widely found through much of the harbor and a staple of the local diet from the time of the Algonquians up through the 19th century. Oystering grounds were prevalent in the Upper Bay, as well as along the south shore of Staten Island and Jamaica Bay. The oyster still exists in the harbor but is not yet considered edible; there are plans to further clean up the areas so that the beds can be restored.
• Quahog
• Steamer clam

  Cephalopods

• Longfin inshore squid - Found in Lower New York Harbor and Sheepshead Bay. Often for sale in local farmers' markets.
• Common octopus

  Gastropods

• Common whelk ''
• Channeled whelk
• Common periwinkle - Almost certainly introduced in colonial times by the British as food and possibly in bilgewater from ships. Common sight clinging to rocks or wherever their favorite algae can grow.
• Eastern mudsnail
• Oyster drill
• Lightning whelk Found in Sandy Hook.

  Annelida

• Hard tube worms
• Clam worm

  Porifera

• Red beard sponge

  Bryozoans

• Lacy Bryozoan
• Orange Bryozoan
• Brown Bushy Bryozoan

  Algae

• Sea lettuce
• Hollow Green Weed
• Sour Weeds