Kelp Project Species Identification

Turkish Towel
Girgartina exasperata
Gigartina corymbifera
broad dark purplish-red blades
covered with bumps
size: blades up to 1 m (3 ft)
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White Sea Urchin
Lytechinus anamesus
white spines, white with some
green/gray on test (shell)
size: test size up to 4 cm (1.5 in)
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Black Crowned Sea Urchin
Centrostephanus coronatus
black ridged spines are three times
as long as the test (shell)
size: test size up to 6 cm (2.5 in),
spines up to 18 cm (7.5 in)
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Abalone
Haliotis sp.
holes on edge of shell, very cryptic,
can be covered with algae
size: up to 30 cm (12 in)
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Bat Star
Asterina miniata
Webbed 5-arm shape, solid or mottled colors
(red, orange, yellow, brown, green, purple)
size: up to 20 cm (8 in)
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Giant Spined Star
Pisaster giganteus
5-arm shape, covered with white spines
with blue bumps
size: up to 50 cm (20 in)
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Blue-banded Goby
Lythrypnus dalli
Small fish with orange and blue stripes
size: up to 7 cm (2.5 in)
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Brown Gorgonian
Muricea fruticosa
look closely for white polyps
on “sea fan” branches
size: up to 1 m (3 ft)
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Brown Gorgonian (close-up)
Muricea fruticosa
look closely for white polyps
on “sea fan” branches
size: up to 1 m (3 ft)
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Golden Gorgonian
Muricea californica
look closely for yellow polyps
on “sea fan” branches
size: up to 1 m (3 ft)
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Golden Gorgonian (close-up)
Muricea californica
look closely for yellow polyps
on “sea fan” branches
size: up to 1 m (3 ft)
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Kellet’s Whelk
Kelletia kelletii
spiral whorls on robust shell,
check for hermit crabs in empty shells
size: up to 18 cm (7 in)
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Warty Sea Cucumber
Parastichopus parvimensis
soft cylindrical orange-brown body
with pointy projections
size: up to 25 cm (10 in)
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Wavy Top Snail
Lithopoma undosum
spiral shell often covered with algae,
very cryptic
size: up to 13 cm (5 in)
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Giant Kelp Adult Macrocystis pyrifera brown alga attached by holdfast size: up to 30 m (100 ft) Click Here for More Information	Giant Kelp Sub-Adult Macrocystis pyrifera visible split at base of blade size: young plants up to 1 meter (3 ft) Click Here for More Information	Juvenile Kelp various species of brown algae no visible split in blade size: up to ~10 cm (4 in) Click Here for More Information

Bladder Chain Algae Cystoseira sp. “chains” of pneumatocysts in upper part, flattened blades in lower part size: up to 8 m (26 ft) Click Here for More Information	California Sea Palm Pterygophora californica woody unbranched stipe, small branched holdfast size: up to 2.3 meters (7.5 ft) Click Here for More Information	Turkish Towel Girgartina exasperata Gigartina corymbifera broad dark purplish-red blades covered with bumps size: blades up to 1 m (3 ft) Click Here for More Information

Purple Sea Urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus purple spines and test (shell) juveniles may look greenish size: test size up to 7 cm (3 in) Click Here for More Information	Red Sea Urchin Strongylocentrotus franciscanus red spines (dark maroon to light reddish-pink) size: test size up to 18 cm (7 inches) Click Here for More Information	White Sea Urchin Lytechinus anamesus white spines, white with some green/gray on test (shell) size: test size up to 4 cm (1.5 in) Click Here for More Information

Black Crowned Sea Urchin Centrostephanus coronatus black ridged spines are three times as long as the test (shell) size: test size up to 6 cm (2.5 in), spines up to 18 cm (7.5 in) Click Here for More Information	Abalone Haliotis sp. holes on edge of shell, very cryptic, can be covered with algae size: up to 30 cm (12 in) Click Here for More Information	Bat Star Asterina miniata Webbed 5-arm shape, solid or mottled colors (red, orange, yellow, brown, green, purple) size: up to 20 cm (8 in) Click Here for More Information

Giant Spined Star Pisaster giganteus 5-arm shape, covered with white spines with blue bumps size: up to 50 cm (20 in) Click Here for More Information	Blue-banded Goby Lythrypnus dalli Small fish with orange and blue stripes size: up to 7 cm (2.5 in) Click Here for More Information	Brown Gorgonian Muricea fruticosa look closely for white polyps on “sea fan” branches size: up to 1 m (3 ft) Click Here for More Information

Brown Gorgonian (close-up) Muricea fruticosa look closely for white polyps on “sea fan” branches size: up to 1 m (3 ft) Click Here for More Information	Golden Gorgonian Muricea californica look closely for yellow polyps on “sea fan” branches size: up to 1 m (3 ft) Click Here for More Information	Golden Gorgonian (close-up) Muricea californica look closely for yellow polyps on “sea fan” branches size: up to 1 m (3 ft) Click Here for More Information

Kellet’s Whelk Kelletia kelletii spiral whorls on robust shell, check for hermit crabs in empty shells size: up to 18 cm (7 in) Click Here for More Information	Warty Sea Cucumber Parastichopus parvimensis soft cylindrical orange-brown body with pointy projections size: up to 25 cm (10 in) Click Here for More Information	Wavy Top Snail Lithopoma undosum spiral shell often covered with algae, very cryptic size: up to 13 cm (5 in) Click Here for More Information

Wavy Top Snail Lithopoma undosum spiral shell often covered with algae, very cryptic size: up to 13 cm (5 in) Click Here for More Information