Intertidal Life of Orange County, California
(Click on images or names to open)
119 species illustrated. Yellow background, introduced species
Photographed and compiled by Peter J. Bryant (pjbryant@uci.edu)
Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 |
| Cnidarians |
Aggregating Anemone,
Anthopleura elegantissima |
Solitary Green Anemone, Anthopleura sola |
Halecium sp. |
Striped Anemone,
Haliplanella Luciae |
Red gorgonian,
Lophogorgia chilensis |
Glassy Plume Hydroid,
Plumularia setacea |
By-the wind Sailor,
Velella velella |
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| Polychaetes |
Feather Duster Worm,
Megalomma sp. |
Feather Duster Worm
(unidentified) |
Feather Duster Worm,
Megalomma sp. |
Sandcastle Worm |
Calcareous Tube Worm
(Serpulid), Hydroides sp. |
Medusa worm (Cirratulidae) |
Eunicid worm, Eunice sp. |
Eunicid worm, Marphysa sanguinea |
Blood worm (Glyceridae) |
Nereid Worm, Nereis latescens |
Nereid Worm |
Fifteen-scaled Worm,
Harmothoe imbricata (Polynoidae) |
Syllid Worm, Typosyllis nipponica |
Spaghetti Worm (Terebellidae) |
Unidentified Polychaete #1 |
Unidentified Polychaete #2 |
Unidentified Polychaete #3 |
Uinidentified Polychaete #5 |
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| Ectoprocts (Bryozoans) |
Membranipora |
Bryozoan (unidentified) |
Bryozoan (unidentified) |
Rosy Bryozoan |
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| Molluscs: Chitons |
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Molluscs: Octopuses |
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Mossy Chiton, Mopalia muscosa |
Southern Spiny Chiton,
Nuttallina fluxa |
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Two-spotted Octopus, Octopus bimaculatus |
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| Molluscs: Gastropods |
Rough Limpet,
Collisella scabra |
Southern Finger Limpet,
Lottia austrodigitalis |
Owl Limpet,
Lottia gigantea |
File Limpet,
Lottia limatula |
Giant Keyhole Limpet,
Megathura crenulata |
Northern (Pinto) Abalone,
Haliotis kamtschatkana |
Wavy Top Turban |
Speckled Turban |
Black Turban |
Smooth Brown Turban (Norris' Top Shell), Norrisia norrisi |
California Horn Snail,
Cerithidea californica |
Gem Murex,
Maxwellia gemma |
Emarginate Dog Winkle, Nucella emarginata |
Festive Murex,
Pteropurpura festiva |
Checkered Periwinkle,
Littorina scutulata |
Gray Littorine,
Littorina planaxis |
Slipper Limpet, Crepidula sp. |
Chestnut Cowrie,
Cypraea spadicea |
California Cone Snail,
Conus californicus |
Scaly Worm Shell,
Serpulorbis squamigerus |
Sea Hare |
 California Black Sea Hare,
Aplysia vaccaria |
Nassa Mud Snail, Nassarius sp. |
Sidegill Slug,
Tylodina fungina |
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| Molluscs - bivalves |
| Chamidae |
Mytilidae |
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Pacific Jewelbox,
Pseudochama exogyra |
Ribbed Mussel,
Geukensia demissa |
Asian date mussel,
Musculista senhousia |
California Mussel,
Mytilus californianus |
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| Ostreidae |
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Olympia Oyster,
Ostrea conchaphila |
Pacific Oyster,
Crassostrea gigas |
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| Pectinidae |
Petricolidae |
Pholadidae |
Psammobiidae |
Giant Rock Scallop,
Crassadoma gigantea |
Speckled Scallop,
Argopecten ventricosa |
Hearty Petricolid,
Petricola carditoides (?) |
Piddock |
California Jack-knife Clam,
Tagelus californianus |
| Semelidae |
Veneridae |
Asian Semele,
Theora lubrica |
Clipped semele,
Semele decisa |
Pacific Littleneck,
Leukoma staminea |
Japanese Littleneck,
Venerupis philippinarum |
California Butter Clam,
Saxidomus nuttalli |
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| Echinoderms |
Purple Sea Urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus |
Giant Red Sea Urchin,
Strongylocentrotus franciscanus |
White Sea Urchin,
Lytechinus anamesus |
Sand Dollar,
Dendraster excentricus |
Warty Sea Cucumber,
Parastichopus parvimensis |
Brittle Star,
Amphiodia occidentalis |
Banded Brittle Star,
Ophionereis annulata |
Spiny Brittle Star,
Ophiopterus spiculata |
Ochre Star,
Pisaster ochraceus |
Bat Star, Asterina miniata |
Leather Star,
Dermasterias imbricata |
Pink Sea Star, Pisaster brevispinus |
Comb Sand Star,
Astropecten armatus |
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| Amphipods |
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Amphithoe plumulosa |
Skeleton Shrimp, Caprella sp. |
Elasmopus bampo |
Beach amphipod, Melita sp. |
California Beach Hopper,
Orchestoidea californiana |
Big-eyed Beach Hopper, Orchestoidea corniculata |
Hyalid amphipod |
Unidentified Amphipod |
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| Isopods |
Harford's Isopod, Cirolana harfordi |
Bigtail Isopod, Exosphaeroma amplicauda |
Exosphaeroma inornata |
Sea Slater (Rock Louse) |
Paranthura elegans
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| Cirripedia (Barnacles) |
Goose Barnacle |
Acorn Barnacle |
Small Acorn Barnacle
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Red-thatched Barnacle |
Red-striped Acorn Barnacle |
| Decapods (Shrimp, crayfish, lobsters, crabs) |
Brown Shrimp,
Penaeus californicus |
Striped shore crab,
Pachygrapsus crassipes |
Kelp Crab,
Pugettia sp. |
Sand crab,
Emerita analoga |
Hermit Crab |
Hermit Crab |
Hermit Crab |
Yellow Shore Crab,
Hemigrapsus oregonensis |
Fiddler Crab, Uca crenulata |
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| Tunicates |
Sea Squirt |
Tunicate (unidentified) |
Metandrocarpa dura
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| Fish |
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Wooly Sculpin |
Opaleye |
California Grunion |
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| Sea Spiders |
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Ammothea hilgendorfi |
Unidentified |
Unidentified |
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| Insects |
Intertidal Midge, Paraclunio alaskensis |
Long-legged fly |
Kelp fly (Fucellia rufitibia) |
Melyrid Beetle,
Endeodes insularis |
Intertidal Rove Beetle, Cafius sp. |
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