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
     
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
   
Ectoprocts (Bryozoans)

Membranipora

Bryozoan (unidentified)

Bryozoan (unidentified)

Rosy Bryozoan
 
Molluscs: Chitons   Molluscs: Octopuses  

Mossy Chiton, Mopalia muscosa

Southern Spiny Chiton,
Nuttallina fluxa
 
Two-spotted Octopus, Octopus bimaculatus
 
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
 
Molluscs - bivalves
Chamidae Mytilidae  

Pacific Jewelbox,
Pseudochama exogyra

Ribbed Mussel,
Geukensia demissa

Asian date mussel,
Musculista senhousia

California Mussel,
Mytilus californianus
 
Ostreidae      

Olympia Oyster,
Ostrea conchaphila

Pacific Oyster,
Crassostrea gigas
     
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
         
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

B
rittle 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
   
Amphipods      

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
   
Isopods

Harford's Isopod, Cirolana harfordi

Bigtail Isopod, Exosphaeroma amplicauda

Exosphaeroma inornata

Sea Slater (Rock Louse)

Paranthura elegans
Cirripedia (Barnacles)

Goose Barnacle

Acorn Barnacle


Small Acorn Barnacle


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
 
Tunicates

Sea Squirt

Tunicate (unidentified)

Metandrocarpa dura
   
Fish  

Wooly Sculpin

Opaleye

California Grunion
   
Sea Spiders    

Ammothea hilgendorfi

Unidentified

Unidentified
   
Insects

Intertidal Midge, Paraclunio alaskensis

Long-legged fly

Kelp fly (Fucellia rufitibia)

Melyrid Beetle,
Endeodes insularis

Intertidal Rove Beetle, Cafius sp.