Abalone

Haliotis sp.



Young abalone with a shell size of less than 3 cm take shelter within the spines of sea urchins for protection.





Acorn Barnacle

Balanus spp.



Barnacles are hermaphroditic (they have both female and male sex organs).





Basking Shark

Cetorhinus maximus



The basking shark is the second largest species of fish in the world.





Bat Star

Asterina miniata



When two bat stars bump into each other they begin a slow-motion arm wrestling match. Each sea star tries to get its arm on top of the others arm.





Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax



Black-crowned night herons feed at night in the same areas that other heron species feed in the day.





Blue Shark

Prionace glauca



The blue shark has one of the largest ranges of all species of sharks.





Blue Whale

Balaenoptera musculus



The blue whale is the largest living animal.





Bluebanded Goby

Lythrypnus dalli



These peaceful fish are often territorial with members of their own species.





Bocaccio

Sebastes paucispinis



The bocaccio can live up to 45 years.





Bottlenose Dolphin

Tursiops truncatus



The bottlenose dolphin uses echolocation to find its prey.





Brown Pelican

Pelecanus occidentalis



The brown pelican is the smallest of all pelicans and is the only one that plunges from the air into the water to catch its food.





California Brown Sea Hare

Aplysia californica



Each Sea hare may lay up to eighty million eggs. However, most of the eggs are eaten by predators.





California Grunion

Leuresthes tenuis



Unlike other fish, grunion come completely out of the water to lay their eggs in the sand.





California Halibut

Paralichthys californicus



The California halibut is a flatfish with both eyes on one side of its head!





California Mussel

Mytilus californianus



While feeding, a mussel filters 2 to 3 quarts of water per hour.





California Scorpionfish

Scorpaena guttata



The California scorpionfish has venom in its spines.





California Sea Lion

Zalophus californianus



Sea lions use their long front flippers to steer and propel themselves through the water.





California Sheephead

Semicossyphus pulcher



The California sheephead are all born as females.





California Skate

Raja inornata



The California Skate has a skeleton made completely out of cartilage.





California Spiny Lobster

Panulirus interruptus



California Lobsters do not have front claws.





Common Thresher Shark

Alopias vulpinus



The common thresher shark uses its long tail in a whip-like fashion to deliver incapacitating blows to its prey.





Cooper of the Sea

Phronima sedentaria



The eyes of this amphipod are so large that they make up nearly a quarter of the entire body.





Crystal Jelly

Aequorea victoria



Crystal jellies can expand their mouth to eat prey half their size!





Eel Grass

Zostera marina



Eel grass is a true plant (not a seaweed) and is one of the few flowering plants that grow in the ocean.





Fiddler Crab

Uca crenulata



Males have a large claw that they wave back and forth like a fiddler.





Fin Whale

Balaenoptera physalus



The Fin whale is the second largest animal after the blue whale





Garibaldi

Hypsypops rubicundus



Garibaldi is the California State marine fish.





Garibaldi, juvenile

Hypsypops rubicundus



Garibaldi is the California State marine fish.





Giant Kelp

Macrocystis pyrifera



Under ideal conditions, giant kelp can grow about two feet a day.





Giant Kelpfish

Heterostichus rostratus



The giant kelpfish can quickly change color during courtship or territorial displays.





Giant Sea Bass

Stereolepis gigas



This fish is huge, growing over 7.5 feet long and weighing over 500 pounds.





Gooseneck Barnacles

Pollicipes polymerus



Gooseneck barnacles can live 20 years, or more.





Gray Whale

Eschrichtius robustus



The gray whale is a baleen whale.





Great White Shark

Carcharodon carcharias



The great white shark is capable of explosive bursts of speed and has been known to jump 3 meters (10 feet) out of the water.





Green Sea Anemone

Anthopleura xanthogrammica



Some fishes develop resistance to the green anemone's sting by covering themselves with mucus.





Harbor Porpoise

Phocoena phocoena



The harbor porpoise is one of six species of porpoise





Harbor Seal

Phoca vitulina



The Harbor seal is the most widely distributed species of pinniped.





Hermit Crab

Pagurus sp.



Hermit crabs protect their rear ends by hiding it in a snail shell.





Horn Shark

Heterodontus francisci



The female horn shark lays a distinctive spiral-shaped egg case.





Humpback Whale

Megaptera novaeangliae



The humpback whale has distinct patterns on the tail flukes used to identify individuals.





Kelp Bass

Paralabrax clathratus



Kelp bass reproduce by spawning (release egg and sperm into the water column) and form large aggregations in the summer months.





Killer Whale

Orcinus orca



The killer whale, as known as the orca, is the largest dolphin.





Krill

Thysanoessa spinifera



Krill are eaten by whales, seals, penguins, squid and fish.





Laysan Albatross

Phoebastria immutabilis



The wings of a laysan albatross are adapted to lock open into a wingspan of nearly seven feet.





Leopard Shark

Triakis semifasciata



Leopard sharks are bottom feeders and are named because of their stripes.





Mantis Shrimp

Hemisquilla ensigera



Mantis shrimp are not true shrimp, but get their name because of their appearance.





Marbled Godwit

Limosa fedoa



The marbled godwit has a long, slightly upturned bill with a dark tip and pinkish base.





Masking Crab

Loxorhynchus crispatus



The masking crab decorates itself with bits of algae, sponges and bryozoans.





Minke Whale

Balaenoptera acutorostrata



The minke whale is the smallest of the rorqual whales





Moray Eel

Gymnothorax mordax



This eel's favorite prey is the octopus.





Norris' Top Snail

Norrisia norrisi



These snails travel up and down kelp every day.





Ochre Sea Star

Pisaster ochraceous



These sea stars are able to digest their prey outside of their bodies.





Pacific Angel Shark

Squatina californica



The Pacific angel shark superficially looks like a ray, but is a true shark.





Pacific Hagfish

Eptatretus stoutii



Hagfish are considered to be the most primitive species of all living fish.





Pacific Hake

Merluccius productus



The Pacific hake can live up to 15 years.





Pacific Mackerel

Scomber japonicus



The Pacific mackerel is also known as the chub mackerel or blue mackerel.





Pacific Sardine

Sardinops sagax



The Pacific sardine form large schools of up to 10 million fish.





Pacific Seahorse

Hippocampus ingens



The Pacific seahorse reverses traditional birthing roles.





Purple Sea Urchin

Strongylocentrotus purpuratus



Sea urchins have tube feet, which they use for attachment, locomotion and feeding.





Risso's dolphin

Grampus griseus



Adult Risso's dolphins bodies are typically heavily scarred, while calves have little or no scarring





Salema

Xenistius californiensis



These fish have an up-turned mouth to better eat plankton.





Sand Dollar

Dendraster excentricus



You can't spend these dollars, they are relatives to sea stars.





Sargo

Anisotremus davidsoni



The sargo is the largest of the Pacific grunts.





Sea Pansy

Renilla koellikeri



A sea pansy is not a flower, but is an animal that is related to sea jellies.





Shortfin Mako Shark

Isurus oxyrinchus



The shortfin mako shark is able to elevate its body temperature almost 20°F above the surrounding water.





Southern Sea Otter

Enhydra lutris nereis



Sea otters do not have blubber to keep warm, instead they have very dense fur (up to one million hairs per square inch).





Sperm Whale

Physeter macrocephalus



The sperm whale is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator.





Striped Shore Crab

Pachygrapsus crassipes



The striped shore crab spends at least half its time on land, but submerges at times to wet its gills.





Swell Shark

Cephaloscyllium ventriosum



When stressed, the swell shark can swell by inflating its stomach by swallowing water.





Tidewater Goby

Eucyclogobius newberryi



The tidewater goby is an endangered species.





Two-Spot Octopus

Octopus bimaculoides



Octopus are extremely intelligent and have well-developed eyes.





Western Gull

Larus occidentalis



The Western gull typically lives about 15 years, but can live to at least 25 years.





Whale Barnacle

Cryptolepas rhachianecti



Whale barnacles live attached to the skin of whales.





White Seabass

Atractoscion nobilis



The white seabass is the largest species of croaker in California.





Willet

Tringa semipalmata



The willet is very territorial and will aggressively defend their nesting and feeding territory.