Species Gallery - All
SIZE: M. giganteum max. 3 ft. high, M. senile max. 4 in. high
Plumose Anemone
Metridium senile/Metridium farcimenDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Thin, fluffy tentacles.
DESCRIPTION:
Large, aggregating, white, orange, tan, or brown anemone. M. giganteum has up to 200 translucent tentacles. It is larger than M. senile. M. senile has fewer than 100 short tentacles. Both are monitored together in survey program.
SIZE: max. 3/4 in.
Strawberry Anemone
Corynactis californicaDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Club shaped knobs at the end of each tentacle.
DESCRIPTION:
White to pink, red, orange or lavender coloration. Colonies can be up to 20 m (65 ft) wide. Attach to rocks in high current areas.
SIZE: max. 14 in. high
Tube-dwelling Anemone
Pachycerianthus fimbriatusDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Long, slender outer tentacles surround short inner tentacles, always found in soft sediment.
DESCRIPTION:
Two sets of banded tentacles are white, brown, black or orange. The anemone secretes a tube that can extend 1m (3ft) in the mud. Favorite food item of the giant nudibranch.
SIZE: max. 6 in. height/diameter
White-spotted Anemone
Urticina lofotensisDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Short, scarlet column covered in vertical rows of tiny white spots.
DESCRIPTION:
Long yellow tentacles have pink-red tips. Tentacles appear banded with pink and yellow coloration.
SIZE: Bell is scalloped into 8 pairs of lobes. Short marginal tentacles.
Moon Jelly
Aurelia aurita/labiataDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: 4 horseshoe-shaped gonads in a gray to blue disc-shaped bell.
DESCRIPTION:
Bell is scalloped into 8 pairs of lobes. Short marginal tentacles.
SIZE: max. 9 ft. in diameter
Sea Blubber
Cyanea capillataDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Reddish-orange to purplish-brown ruffled oral arms in the center of the bell. (similar sp. Fried egg jellyfish has a white to yellow bell, oral arms and tentacles.)
DESCRIPTION:
Its transparent bell, usually pink or purple, ends in a scalloped rim. Pale white tentacles extend up to 9 m (30 ft). Also commonly known as Lion’s Mane Jellyfish.
SIZE: max. 1/2 in. in height/diameter
Orange Cup Coral
Balanophyllia elegansDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Orange cup with anemone-like animal inside.
DESCRIPTION:
Hard limestone cup. Anemone-like creature has nearly-transparent tentacles with obvious nodules containing nematocysts.
SIZE: max. 18.5 in. high and 4 in. wide
Orange Sea Pen
Ptilosarcus gurneyiDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Orange fleshy stalk and branches with many polyps.
DESCRIPTION:
Feathery branches make up the top half of the Sea Pen. The bottom half is buried in the sand. The sea pen can retreat completely into the sand.
SIZE: Colonies up to 3 in. high and 3 ft. wide or more.
Pink Hydrocoral
Stylaster verrilli/S. venustusDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Upright branching colonies. (similar sp. Encrusting hydrocoral and coralline algae do not branch.)
DESCRIPTION:
Pink to orange coloration. Found in areas of high current attached to rocks.
SIZE: max. 20 in.
California Sea Cucumber
Parastichopus californicusDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Large and small fleshy papillae (pointy projections).
DESCRIPTION:
Mottled brown-red body. Light cream underside. Circle of 20 bushy feeding tentacles at one end.
SIZE: max. 8 in.
Orange Sea Cucumber
Cucumaria miniataDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Typically wedged in a crevice with only bushy orange-red to brown tentacles showing. (Similar sp. Pale Sea Cucumber has thinner, whispier tentacles and is not orange.)
DESCRIPTION:
10 tentacles of equal size. Orange body with rows of brown tube feet.
SIZE: max. 12 in. in diameter
Leather Star
Dermasterias imbricataDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Smooth leathery skin.
DESCRIPTION:
Blue-gray coloration with red or orange markings. Five arms.
SIZE: max. 24 in. in diameter
Spiny Pink Star
Pisaster brevispinusDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Raised, hump-like appearance of the central disc.
DESCRIPTION:
Pink to gray body. 5 large, stiff rays.
SIZE: max. 3 ft.
Sunflower Star
Pycnopodia helianthoidesDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: One of the largest sea stars in the world with 20-24 arms.
DESCRIPTION:
Color varies from purple, red, pink, brown, orange, yellow or white with a soft, flexible surface. Surface is covered with many white bumps.
SIZE: max. 1/4 in. high and 4 in. in diameter
Eccentric Sand Dollar
Dendraster excentricusDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Flat disc shape covered with short, hair-like spines.
DESCRIPTION:
Lavender-gray, red-brown to purple coloration. 5 petal-shaped loops of tube feet on the dorsal surface. Found in soft sediment, standing on end.
SIZE: 4 in. shell diameter, max. 1.6 in. high
Green Sea Urchin
Strongylocentrotus droebachiensisDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Short, light green spines.
DESCRIPTION:
Browish-green external covering. Dark tube feet are present around the entire body.
SIZE: max. 6 in. in diameter and 2 in. high
Red Sea Urchin
Strongylocentrotus franciscanusDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Spines are twice as long and more numerous than those of similar Purple Sea Urchin.
DESCRIPTION:
Red to purple-black. Abundant, long sharp spines.
SIZE: 10 in. and longer
Giant Nudibranch
Dendronotus irisDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: White line occurs along the base of the foot.
DESCRIPTION:
Numerous paired, branching gills along its back. Color is highly variable, ranging from white to gray, orange or pink. Feathery cerata are often tipped with orange, yellow, or purple. Large.
SIZE: max. 2 in.
Opalescent Nudibranch
Hermissenda crassicornisDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Bright orange line down the center of head and back. Orange and white tipped gills.
DESCRIPTION:
Small nudibranch with many evenly spaced, slender gills. Vague blue line follows the edges of the foot and down the center of the back. Very small.
SIZE: max. 7 in.
White-lined Dirona
Dirona albolineataDISTINCTIVE FEATURES: White lines around the edges of each cerata, gills, tail and the edge of frontal veil.
DESCRIPTION:
Flattened and pointed gills. Background color is a translucent grayish white, salmon, or purple.