Flabellinopsis Iodinea (Spanish Shawl)
at Santa Rosa Island
Yes, they are one of the most commonly seen nudibranch in So Cal, but they are so stunning!
Flabellinopsis Iodinea (Spanish Shawl)
at Farnsworth Bank
Simnia at Santa Cruz Island (9-14-14)
Look for them when you see red gorgonians!
another shot of the Yellowfin (or Orange) Fringehead
I saw an orange blob when I swam over a reef rock and knew I had to stop and look at it more carefully.
Who says barnacles are not pretty?
Blue ringed topsnail - looks like enamel jewelry
Chestnut cowry
Crevice kelpfish
Hermissenda opalescens another relatively common nudibranch, but very pretty
Austraeolis stearnsi
Live sand dollars on the sea floor
Okenia rosacea (Hopkin's rose) from Anacapa Island 7/11/15
Peltodoris Mullineri (Mulliner's dorid) at Santa Cruz Island 9/30/16
Zebra Goby - they are so skittish it's hard to take a good picture of them
Felimare californiensis var. A (California blue dorid ) with eggs from Santa Cruz Island 9/30/16
Jorunna pardus (leopard dorid) from Gull Island 5/12/18
Navanax inermis from Gull Island 5/12/18
Polycera tricolor (three colored nudibranch) from Gull Island 5/12/18
First time I've ever seen this one.
Teeny weeny Tritonia festiva (diamond back nudibranch). I was looking for simnia and found this little baby nudi instead
Berthella californica (California sidegill) from Santa Barbara Island 8/25-26/18
Not very flashy, but very elegant sea slug
Orange throated pike blenny - We made it to the Pelican Reserve on Nov 3, 2018 on the Explorer. I searched all over without luck. I led my group back to the boat and then decided to go down to the reef just under the boat for one last look. I was about to give up when I spotted this little guy poking his head out.
Hilton's aeolid (Phidiana hiltoni) is another one of those nudibranchs you sometimes see in the northern Channel Islands. Funny thing is, a lot of the times you don't see them at all, but other times they are all over the place!
Many people are surprised to see that there are so much color in the local California waters. We have some of the most flamboyant creatures around like the brightly colored Spanish Shawl!
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