Encyclopedia8 min read
Halfmoon (Medialuna californiensis): The Blue-Silver Kelp Grazer
The halfmoon (Medialuna californiensis) is a blue-grey sea chub that grazes kelp on Southern California and Baja reefs — ID, diet and habitat.
Dr. Mara Ellison ·
#southern-california
6 articles
Encyclopedia8 min read
Rosy Rockfish (Sebastes rosaceus): Species Profile
Rosy rockfish (Sebastes rosaceus) is a small, pink-blotched rockfish of low rocky reefs from Washington to Baja. Identification, habitat, diet and ecology.
Dr. Mara Ellison ·
Encyclopedia8 min read
Scaled Worm Snail: The Snail That Builds Reefs in the Kelp Bed
The scaled worm snail (Thylacodes squamigerus) glues its shell to rock, spins a mucus net for food, and grows into living reefs on kelp-bed boulders.
Dr. Theo Nakamura ·
Encyclopedia8 min read
Spanish Shawl (Flabellinopsis iodinea): The Kelp Forest's Flame
The Spanish shawl Flabellinopsis iodinea is a purple-and-orange aeolid nudibranch that steals stinging cells from hydroids. Identification, diet, habitat.
Dr. Mara Ellison ·
Encyclopedia8 min read
Spanish Shawl Nudibranch: Where to Find and Photograph the Kelp Forest's Brightest Slug
Where to find Spanish shawl nudibranchs: the best dive sites and seasons, the hydroid patches they hunt, lookalikes to rule out, and how to photograph one.
Tom Okafor ·
Encyclopedia8 min read
Two-Spot Octopus (Octopus bimaculoides): The Kelp Den Neighbour
Octopus bimaculoides is a small den-dwelling octopus of California's rocky kelp reefs, named for the blue-ringed ocelli behind its eyes. Habits and habitat.
Dr. Theo Nakamura ·