invertebrates

phylum Echinodermata

• red sea urchin (Mesocentrotus franciscanus)*

• Pacific purple sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus)

• leather sea star (Dermasterias imbricata)*

• bat star (Patiria miniata)

• ochre sea star (Pisaster ochraceus)

phylum Cnidaria

• moonglow anemone (Anthopleura artemisia)

• aggregating anemone (Anthopleura elegantissima)

• sunburst anemone (Anthopleura sola)

• giant green anemone (Anthopleura xanthogrammica)

• proliferating anemone (Epiactis prolifera)

• Epiactis anemones (Epiactis spp.)

phylum Arthropoda

• purple shore crab (Hemigrapsus nudus)

• lined shore crab (Pachygrapsus crassipes)

• hermit crabs (Pagurus spp.)

• Pacific rock crab (Romaleon antennarium)

• kelp isopod (Idotea wosnesenskii)*

• Pacific acorn barnacle (Balanus glandula)

• buckshot barnacles (Chthamalus spp.)

• gooseneck barnacle (Pollicipes polymerus)

• pink volcano barnacle (Tetraclita rubescens)

phylum Mollusca

• blue-ringed top snail (Calliostoma ligatum)

• leafy hornmouth (Ceratostoma foliatum)

• seaweed limpet (Discurria insessa)*

• rough limpet (Lottia scabra)

• limpets (Lottia spp.)

• frilled dogwinkle (Nucella lamellosa)

• brown tegula (Tegula brunnea)

• black tegula (Tegula funebralis)

• mossy chiton (Mopalia muscosa)

• lined chiton (Tonicella lineata)*

• wart-necked piddock (Chaceia ovoidea)*

• California mussel (Mytilus californianus)

* = first identified species encounter

Two rows of highlights because the king tide exposed so many exciting species.

So many echinoderm species today! First leather star and bat star sightings, and most excitingly, my first red sea urchin (may or may not have taken literally 45 pictures of it)!!! And, remarkably, over 50 ochre sea stars! Also saw a gorgeous lined chiton for the first time, and a kelp isopod, which was so cool and super unexpected.