sign in sign up
<<
Home , Acanthochitonidae, California mussel, Calliostoma ligatum, Fluffy sculpin, Gumboot chiton, Leather star

Discovery Tidepool

Background The Discovery Tidepool is a large and accessible acrylic tank where the public can handle and . It is representative of the local (northern ) tidepool habitat. The Tidepool contains three main areas: a shallow area for touchable algae and ; deep areas for animals needing R & R (rest and recuperation); and on top of the touch area, five jewel tanks displaying unique or interesting animals from the tidepool habitat. You are the key to the success of this exhibit. At the Discovery Tidepool you have several responsibilities: • to interpret the exhibit and answer visitors’ questions • to encourage visitors to touch rocky shores inhabitants • to explain how fragile the animals are in tidepools along the coast • to protect the animals from rough handling

Some guests have preconceptions about the animals on display at the Discovery Tidepool: they bite, they pinch, or they’re slimy. Other guests think an has to “do something” to be interesting, so they might poke or disturb the creature into reacting.

Encourage guests to gently investigate the animals to learn about and become more comfortable with them. For some guests learning how to look and touch may be one of the most important lessons they receive at the Academy.

Maintenance Academy biologists collect and maintain the algae and animals in this exhibit. Every morning they feed and check the condition of all the animals on display. They move animals that appear tired or stressed.

Interpretive Themes • Show the many adaptations rocky shore inhabitants have for survival. As visitors touch the animal, point out different adaptations, for instance, a sea star’s or ’s tube feet that hold tightly, a ’s legs or a sea star’s arms that can regenerate when damaged, an ’s strong shell that protects against waves and predators, and a decorator crab’s camouflage that hides it from predators. • Point out the connection between the Discovery Tidepool and the California Coast exhibit. Visitors may see these as separate, but the Discovery Tidepool gives the visitor

Discovery Tidepool Page 1

an opportunity to view and touch intertidal inhabitants. For example, ask them to watch for a moment to see why the sea star is stuck so tightly. Then show them the tube feet on another sea star and ask “If you were a sea star living where waves crash, how do you think hundreds of tiny suction-cup feet would help you?” Continue by talking about the use of tube feet to force open shells (their favorite prey). • Show the visitor an ’s point of view. For example, ask “What if you were a sea star trying to get into a mussel shell for a meal? What are the advantages of strong suction-cup feet and a stomach that comes out to eat?” Or ask “How would you cope with constantly crashing waves?” Then show them the adaptations intertidal plants and animals have to cope with the waves.

Conservation Messages • Making a connection with another living creature is perhaps one of the most profound conservation experiences a person can have. Meeting other animals at the Discovery Tidepool is an important conservation connection in itself. • Other conservation messages might include talking about the importance of animal homes (such as tidepools, rocky shores, or sandy beaches) and how we can help take care of these animals by taking care of their homes. You might talk with adults about invertebrate fisheries and how urchins, sea cucumbers, , and even are heavily harvested for human food. • The Tidepool also provides an opportunity to talk about tidepool etiquette when one visits the rocky intertidal: don’t step on animals, leave them in place and just explore with your eyes, pick up trash, don’t dislodge rocks or driftwood. Above all, leave tidepool animals in their home; don’t bring them to your home.

Protocols One of your primary responsibilities is to protect the animals. • Interpreters are responsible for connecting guests to the exhibit, and monitoring public handling of the animals. A “two finger gentle touch” rule should be followed. The public is not allowed to pick animals up or move them. The interpreters are not allowed to pick up the animals or turn them over for the public. Empty shells may be picked up. The guests should be encouraged to wash their hands after touching the Tidepool animals. • If there is an animal that appears to be in poor condition, the interpreter should place it aside (either adjacent to the jewel tanks or closer to the inside wall, out of public reach) until a biologist can be reached. • Interpreters should not lift up the acrylic shelves separating the touch area from the non-touch exhibit area. • The jewel tanks are to remain closed at all times. If it becomes difficult to see inside the jewel tanks there is a designated squeegee to squeegee water off the sides and top of the tanks. • Under no circumstances should a towel be used to wipe off the acrylic sides of the Tidepool tank. No paper towels or cloth towels are allowed in the Tidepool area. Keep them in the back areas out of sight if needed. • Use the squeegee to remove water from the edges of the Tidepool tank.

Frequently Asked Questions 1. What’s that? This is often a visitor’s way of wanting to know: Is it alive? Is it a plant or an animal? Where are its eyes? What good is it? When answering these questions, start with the basics. If possible,

Page 2 Discovery Tidepool Easy Being Green - Manual 2011 explain a creature by comparing it to something familiar to the visitor. Example: “This abalone is like a that crawls around and feeds on seaweed. Have you ever heard of an abalone?”

2. Can you eat it? This is sometimes a follow-up to you saying something’s “like an abalone.” Many animals and algae at the Tidepool are either food for people or are related to things people eat. The topic of food can be a good ice-breaker.

3. What does it eat? Most sea stars are predators and eat and other animals which they hold onto and rip open with their strong tube feet. Urchins are herbivores and mainly feed on . Abalone and snails eat algae and kelp, eat everything including small , snails, etc., and anemones and crabs are omnivores.

4. Those sea stars come in a wide variety of colors. Why? Are they different ? The colors are either individual traits of members of the same species, like some people have blue eyes, some brown or different species. Found in the Discovery Tidepool may be giant sea stars, pink sea stars, bat stars and others.

5. How long does a sea star live? The giant, pink and ochre sea stars may live for 20 years.

6. How do sea stars reproduce? Most reproduce by releasing eggs or sperm into the ocean. Fertilization takes place in the water and the eggs develop into planktonic larvae that later change into bottom- dwelling juveniles. Sometimes at the Tidepool you’ll see a yellow-orange creamy substance under a sea star. Those are eggs.

7. What good is it? This is a loaded question. You can answer it by explaining the role of animals in their environment and their interdependence. Example: Every living thing has its place or ecological role in nature. Purple sea urchins love to eat kelp, but if left unchecked they can potentially devour much of the kelp forests in the areas where they live, hence the importance of predators such as sea otters, and how they keep urchin populations in check. Abalone eat algae that they scrape off of rocks with their which helps keep tidepools clean, etc.

8. How long can an invertebrate, like a sea star, stay out of the water? That depends on where the animal normally lives and the air temperature to which it’s exposed. The hotter it is, the quicker an animal will die. It’s difficult to give a number of minutes or hours. In the wild these animals withstand alternating periods of drying and flooding with the daily ebb and flow of the tides.

9. What’s that jelly stuff in the middle of the bat star? Its stomach. The sea star extends its stomach out of its mouth and digests food outside its body before absorbing it.

10. Why does this sea star feel soft? Those are its gills. The gills come out into the water so that the animal can breathe.

Discovery Tidepool Page 3

Plants and Animals of the Discovery Tidepool

Algae

Cnidarians Giant Green Anemone

Molluscs Gumboot Red Abalone Blue Ring Top Snail Black Turban Snail California Mussel Red

Arthopods Decorator Crab Kelp Crab Hermit Crabs Hermit Crabs of the Tidepool Pacific Mole Crab

Echinoderms Bat Star Pink Sea Star Giant Sea Star Ochre Star Purple Sea Urchin

Fishes Northern Clingfish Shiner Surfperch Crevice Kelpfish Monkeyface Eel Penpoint GunnelL

Background Materials

Page 4 Discovery Tidepool Easy Being Green - Manual 2011 Discovery Tidepool Jewel Tanks

Tank # 1 California Mussels californianus Juvenile Gopher Rockfish Sebastes carnatus Tidepool maculosus Crevice Kelpfish Gibbonsia montereyensis Red Algae

Tank # 2 Northern Clingfish maeandricus Articulated Coralline Algae Red Algae Anemones

Tank # 3 Pacific Mole Crab (aka Sand Crab) Emerita analoga

Tank # 4 - species unknown - species unknown Juvenile Kelp Crab Pugettia producta Sandflat Elbow Crab Heterocrypta occidentalis Blood Star Egg Case of Calif. Swell Shark Cephaloscyllium ventriosum Egg Case of Horn Shark Heterodontus francisci

Tank # 5 California mussels Mytilus californianus Tidepool Oligocottusmaculosus and/or Fluffy Sculpins Oligocottus.snyderi Penpoint Gunnel - Apodichthys flavidus

Fishes in Lower Tank Oligocottus maculosus Oligocottus snyderi Shiner Surfperch Cymatogaster aggregata Monkeyface Eel Cebidichthys violaceus

Discovery Tidepool Page 5

Common Algae

Brown Algae

Rockweed ( sp.) Feather Boa Kelp (Egregia menziesii)

Oarweed (Laminaria sp.) Giant Kelp ( pyrifera)

Red Algae

Red Algae (one of several spp. on display) Articulated Coralline Algae (Corralina sp.)

Page 6 Discovery Tidepool Easy Being Green - Manual 2011 Aggregating Anemone Phylum: Cnidaria Class: Anthozoa Order: Actinaria Family: Actiniidae Genus/species: Anthopleura elegantissima

General Characteristics The column is colored white to light green. Tentacles are tipped pink, blue or purple. Sticky, wartlike tubercules on their bodies collect sand and bits of shell for . These small, usually colonial anemones have columns that grow to 5 cm (2 in) in diameter with tentacular crowns of about 7.5 cm (3 in).

Distribution and Habitat Found from to Baha California, aggregating anemones inhabit the rocky surfaces in very low intertidal to mid-intertidal areas, where they are found alone or more often in dense aggregations, up to several hundred per square meter.

Diet in the Wild Their carnivorous diet includes copepods, isopods, amphipods and other very small animals. is captured with the tentacles. Symbiotic zooxanthellae (dinoflagellates) and zoochlorellae (unicellular green algae) supplement this anemone’s nutrition. Sea anemones, though flower-like in appearance, are predatory animals. The tentacles and oral disc are equipped with cells which contain microscopic stinging structures (nematocysts). When the anemone is stimulated by a physical or chemical sensation, the nematocysts are released, capturing and paralyzing prey.

Predators A. elegantissima is preyed upon by nudibranchs, other snails, and sea stars, such as the leather star.

Reproduction and Development The sex are separate. Reproduction may be sexual, but most often is asexual by longitudinal fission (splitting), which results in clones of same-sexed individuals in large concentrations.

Remarks • Abutting colonies have "clone wars" with their neighbors. Stinging cells (nematocysts) are used to destroy their enemy's flesh. • Pebbles, shell fragments and bits of sea algae readily adhere to this anemone's flesh when it is above the tide line. These particles reflect sunlight and reduce drying out. • The animals may survive for 3 months or more when buried in sand by metabolizing their own body tissue.

Discovery Tidepool Page 7

Giant Green Anemone Taxonomy Phylum: Cnidaria Class: Anthozoa Order: Actinaria Family: Actiniidae Genus/species: Anthopleura xanthogrammica

General Characteristics The green anemone has a large, thick body column with short tentacles radiating from the upper margin. It grows to a diameter of 18 cm (7 in) and a height of 30 cm (12 in) with a crown diameter of 25 cm (10 in). These animals are potentially very long lived; a few are known to have survived at least 80 years.

Distribution and Habitat Found along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Point Conception, and as far south as Panama, this anemone prefers rocky areas and deeper tidepools of the low to middle intertidal zones to 9 m (30 ft), where they are not exposed for extended periods.

Diet in the Wild The green anemone eats detached mussels, sea urchins, crabs, and small fish captured with both sticky and toxic stinging cells that hold and paralyze prey. Giant green anemones usually harbor two kinds of single-celled symbionts: zooxanthellae, a kind of dinoflagellate, and zoochlorellae, algae cells. These symbionts live protected within the anemone's tissues, and photosynthesize organic compounds (sugars) that supplement the nutrition on the host anemone.

Predators Nudibranchs, snails, sea spiders and some sea stars, especially leather stars, are known to feed on the tentacles of green anemones

Reproduction and Development In late spring and summer, giant greens broadcast sperm and eggs into the sea where fertilization occurs. Floating larvae develop within the until they settle and mature into an adult.

Remarks • The symbiotic algae give the anemone its often brilliant green color. When kept without light, in a cave or in an aquarium without adequate light, these anemones may turn almost white as they lose their zoochlorellae. • Some fishes and the hermit crab samuelis develop protection from the anemone's toxins by covering themselves with mucus that prevents them from being stung. • A compound from the giant green anemone is now used as a vertebrate heart stimulant.

Page 8 Discovery Tidepool Easy Being Green - Manual 2011 Taxonomy Phylum: Class: Polyplacophora Order: Neolocrcata Family: Genus/species: Cryptochiton stelleri

General Characteristics The gumboot is a long, meatloaf-like chiton with a brick red mantle covering the eight plates of their jointed shell. The shell plates are completely internal in adults. This is the largest chiton in the world; it grows to 33 cm (13 in). It may live up to 20 years.

Distribution and Habitat Found from Alaska west to Japan and south to the Channel Islands, the gumboot chiton inhabits rocky intertidal areas to 80 feet, often among kelp.

Diet in the Wild A nocturnal grazer, it used its long, tonguelike to scrape off the upper tissue of soft red algae and various coralline algae, giant kelp and oarweed, in the process getting nutrition from the tiny organisms that live on the algae's surface. The radula is covered with tiny, very hard teeth that give it the texture of rough sandpaper.

Predators Its only known predator is the large lurid rock snail Ocenebra lurida, which drills through the chiton's outer covering with its radula to feed on the flesh below.

Reproduction and Development The sexes are separate; eggs and sperm are broadcast into the sea.

Remarks • California coastal Native Americans may have eaten them, as shell plates have been found in middens. An Academy researcher states that this chiton is "a food of last resort, tastes ghastly!” • The radulae of and are unique in having a high percentage of iron magnetite incorporated into the feeding teeth. Magnetite is so named because it is strongly attracted to magnets, and you can actually pick up this chiton's teeth and radula with a magnet! • When exposed to air during low tide, the gumboot chiton can breathe at a reduced rate by absorbing oxygen from the atmosphere. • The red fuzzy stuff often on the surface is red algae. About 20 species of red algae are known to live on subtidal individuals. This chiton's diet of red algae also contributes to its color. • Chitons are among the most ancient living mollusk groups, dating back to 400–500 million years ago.

Discovery Tidepool Page 9

Red Abalone Taxonomy Phylum: Mollusca Class: Order: Family: Haliotidae Genus/species:

General Characteristics The red abalone is a large -like snail with a flattened and rounded shell. The shell can reach up to 30 cm (11.8 in) in length and is usually brick red and overgrown with fouling organisms. The row of holes parallel to the rim of the shell provides exit for circulating water, gametes and waste products; as the animal grows, new holes open and old ones close. When in danger, the abalone clamps its shell tightly to the substrate, protecting soft parts of its body. The shell’s color is influenced by the animal’s diet. The red color is from the pigment phycoerythrin consumed in its red alga diet. Brown specimens eat primarily .

Distribution and Habitat Red abalone are found from Oregon to Baja California. They are uncommon in the lower in rocky areas with heavy surf. Most are now found at 6 to 17 m (20 to 56 ft) depth in central California.

Diet in the Wild Small feed on and algae; larger animals browse the seaweeds. Red abalone eat algae, especially red and brown species. Usually foraging at night, they trap drifting pieces of algae with the tentacles that extend from the foot. The algae is then carried by the foot to the mouth, and is torn by the radula and consumed.

Predators Sea stars, crabs, octopuses, sea otters and human divers are among the abalone's primary predators.

Reproduction and Development After spawning takes place, fertilized eggs sink. Larvae develop in the plankton until they settle to the bottom, metamorphose, and begin to graze. Growth slows with increasing size and age. Mortality is very high in the planktonic stages. Mature individuals can live more than 20 years.

Remarks • Red abalone are highly endangered due to overexploitation by the abalone fishery. The population plummeted in the late twentieth century, but poaching continues to be a problem. California passed many strict regulations to protect the red abalone: abalone smaller than 18 cm (7 in) in diameter are protected, the canning of abalone is illegal, and the shipment of fresh or frozen meat out of California is prohibited. Red abalone is the only species that can still be fished. Aquacultured abalone is now increasingly available.

Page 10 Discovery Tidepool Easy Being Green - Manual 2011 Blue Ring Top Snail Taxonomy Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Family: Genus/species: ligatum

General Characteristics The small shell is 2.5 cm (1 in) in diameter and is conical, chocolate brown with iridescent gold spiral ridges. The sole of the foot is orange.

Distribution and Habitat Distributed from Alaska to Baja California, the blue ring top snail lives on brown algae, such as Macrocystis, in deeper subtidal waters. In the low intertidal, it can be found on rocks inshore from kelp beds.

Diet in the Wild Omnivorous, it feeds on kelp as well as the hydroids, detritus, and diatoms that adhere to the kelp's surface, and may scavenge dead fish or other sea creatures.

Predators Small snails are preyed upon by many predators, including sea stars, various fishes, and birds.

Reproduction and Development The sexes are separate; sperm and eggs are broadcast.

Remarks • The foot discharges a mucous layer on the shell, which may make the snail more difficult to grasp by predators, such as seastars. • The closely related purple ring top snail (C. annulatum), left below, and channeled top snail (C. canaliculatlum), right below, also live in California in the same kelp bed habitat. However, each species partitions the habitat. C. canaliculatlum lives high on the kelp, C. ligatum closer to the bottom, and C. annulatum between them. • These three species of Calliostoma were collected during James Cook’s third voyage in 1778, and were among the first molluscs named from the west coast of America.

Discovery Tidepool Page 11

Turban Snails Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Family: Trochidae Genus/species: brunnea

General Characteristics The shells are round, shaped like a turban, and not pointed at the . Colors vary from dark purple, black, orange, or brown. The top of the shell is often white, where the nacre below has been exposed. Shells grow to about 3 cm (1.2 in) in diameter.

Distribution and Habitat Found from British Columbia to Baja California, black turban snails inhabit the high to middle intertidal zones on rocky surfaces and in tidepools. Brown turbans range from Oregon to Santa Barbara, and are common in the low intertidal zone and shallow subtidal rocky shores.

Diet in the Wild They graze at night on many species of algae, especially fleshy brown algae such as giant kelp (Macrocystis)), bull kelp (Nereocystis) and turkish towel (Gigartina). They use their radula to scrape microscopic organisms and plant tissue from the algae.

Predators Whelks, crabs, ochre stars, and otters are primary predators. Large shore birds and egrets take black turbans living in the shallow intertidal.

Reproduction and Development Eggs and sperm are broadcast into the sea where fertilization and larval development take place. Black and brown turbans may live 20 to 30 years.

Remarks • Black turban snails can detect the ochre star from a distance by using sensitive olfactory organs. They sense and avoid this predator, but ignore non-predatory stars. • The common name, turban snail, presumably refers to the shell's similarity in appearance to a turban. • Turbam snails were collected extensively by California coastal Indians as food. Also favorite food items of immigrants from southern Europe and Asia, these two species were over-harvested in the early 1900s and populations plummeted. Today, they are still harvested, but presently under regulation of California Fish and Game, their numbers are stable and abundant. • In the Discovery Tidepool, their empty shells are often inhabited by hermit crabs.

Page 12 Discovery Tidepool Easy Being Green - Manual 2011 California Mussel Taxonomy Phylum: Mollusca Class: Order: Filibranchia Family: Genus/species: Mytilus californianus

General Characteristics California mussels are relatively large mussels, with a blue-black shell with strong radial ribs and irregular growth lines. Maximum size is about 13 cm (5 in). The shell surface is often worn and eroded.

Distribution and Habitat They range from Alaska to Baja California, and are found on rocky shores of the intertidal zones to 24 m (78 ft).

Diet in the Wild Mussels filter fine organic detritus and living plankton from sea water.

Predators California mussels are favored food items of seas stars (especially ochre stars), crabs, predatory snails, shorebirds, and sea otters. Sea otters have devastated formerly extensive mussel beds in Monterey Bay.

Reproduction and Development The sexes are separate. Sperm and eggs are broadcast into the sea where fertilization occurs.

Remarks • The California mussel attaches to rocks by fibers called byssal threads. These threads are produced as a liquid by the byssal gland. The liquid runs down a groove formed by the foot. When the foot pulls back, exposing the liquid to sea water, the liquid solidifies into a thread. • A large mussel moves by breaking old threads, then attaching new ones to another spot; a small mussel creeps around on its foot. • A California mussel grows to full size in about 3 years. • A mussel filters 1.8 l to 2.8 l (2 to 3 qts) of water an hour. • By filtering algae spores from the water, mussels may limit algae growing around mussel beds. • They create mussel beds—coastal areas densely covered with mussels—which provide habitat for other organisms, such as small worms and .

Discovery Tidepool Page 13

Red Octopus Taxonomy Phylum: Mollusca Class: Cephalopoda Order: Octopoda Family: Octopodidae Genus/species: Octopus rubescens

General Characteristics The animal is often red, as its common name implies; however, it is able to change colors rapidly for social signaling or camouflage and can alter its skin texture to match objects in its surroundings. The mantle length of this small octopus is about 10 cm (4 in); the arm length side to side is about twice that long. Like all octopuses, it can squirt ink when pursued or threatened to confuse predators.

Distribution and Habitat The red octopus is found from Alaska to Baja California in the intertidal and shallow subtidal zones as juveniles and to depths of 180 m (590 ft) as adults.

Diet in the Wild A nocturnal forager, it eats small crabs (a favorite), hermit crabs, and other crustaceans, mollusks and an occasional fish. Shells of prey that are difficult to pull or bite open can be “drilled” in order to gain access to the soft tissue: salivary secretions soften the shell, and a tiny hole is created with the radula (a toothed, hardened “tongue”). The octopus then secretes a toxin that paralyzes the prey and begins to dissolve it. The shell is pulled apart and the soft tissues are consumed.

Predators Predators include moray eels, rockfishes, sea bass, sharks, dolphins and sea lions.

Reproduction and Development Mating takes place offshore at depth, then females return to the shallow subtidal to spawn. The male dies after mating. Larvae hatch after 6–8 weeks of protection and grooming by the female, who does not eat during this time and dies shortly after the young emerge. Juveniles usually live within the protection of kelp holdfasts before moving offshore onto the continental shelf, where they are quite common. Life span is about 2 years.

Remarks • Female red octopuses in the Discovery Tidepool may on occasion spawn and be seen grooming and aerating their eggs. • These animals should not be touched! Not only do they have sharp beaks and the inclination to use them, they also secrete venom from salivary glands and injected it into the wound, which can take several weeks to heal. • The octopus can change color and texture in less than a second. In the skin, specialized cells called chromatophores hold yellow, red, orange, blue or black pigments. When the tiny muscles around the pigment cells contract, the colors show as large spots; when they relax, the colors dissipate. The octopus uses color change as camouflage, but also changes color with shifts in interest and activity, such as during feeding.

Page 14 Discovery Tidepool Easy Being Green - Manual 2011 Decorator Crab Taxonomy Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum Crustacea Order: Class: Family: Majidae Genus/species: Loxorhynchus crispatus

General Characteristics L. crispatus is one of several large crabs (carapace to 9 cm [3.5 in] in males, 7 cm [2.75 in] in females), often heavily decorated with plant or animal material. Called masking or decorator crabs, they attach items to their bodies to the hook-like spines on the carapace and legs. This strategy conceals the crabs from predators, prey, or both. These crabs are seldom noticed until they move.

Distribution and Habitat This crab is found from Northern California south to Baja California. It is common on pilings, kelp beds, and subtidal rocks to a depth of 183 m.

Diet in the Wild L. crispatus feeds on algae, , small crustaceans, bryozoans. Different species of decorator crabs within the same habitat seem to partition food resources, with some specializing on species of kelp and others being more general feeders on both plants and a variety of animals.

Predators An important food source for several species of fishes.

Reproduction and Development Fertilization is internal. The male transfers sperm packets to the female, who carries the fertilized eggs ventrally between her body and tail. The eggs hatch as larvae and float in the plankton until metamorphosing into juvenile crabs and settling.

Remarks • Different species of decorator crabs tend to choose different organisms as decorations. When the crabs molt, especially when they are small and still vulnerable to , they remove the “decorations” from their old shell and apply them to the new! Decorator crabs often very destructive in our displays; to create their camouflage coverings, they pick and tear at potential coverings.

Discovery Tidepool Page 15

Kelp Crab Taxonomy Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum Crustacea Class: Malacostraca Order: Decapoda Family: Majidae Genus/species: Pugettia producta

General Characteristics This particular family of crabs has a unique carapace that looks, according to one source, like an upside down shovel with the handle end towards its mouth. The carapace is distinctive, with two prominent projections on each side in the front and two more spines toward the rear. Males grow to 9.5 cm (3.75 in) wide; females are smaller. The color is dependent on diet. Intertidal kelp crabs are usually dark brown; kelp crabs in the kelp canopy are olive-color like the kelp; kelp crabs that live in beds of red algae are dark red.

Distribution and Habitat Ranging from Alaska to Baja California, the kelp crab is found nearshore in the rocky intertidal and subtidal zones to a depth of 73 m (240 ft). Small kelp crabs live in shallow water, often in tidepools, covered with surfgrass or algae, which protect them from sunlight and predators. As they grow older and larger, they move deeper into kelp beds.

Diet in the Wild They feed on various species of algae, especially brown and red. If algae is scarce, they are known to eat , mussels, and various small organisms.

Predators Predators include octopuses, rockfishes, cabezon, gulls, and sea otters.

Reproduction and Development Northern kelp crabs can mate year-round. The females carry the eggs for about 30 days before releasing them as planktonic larvae, which pass through several larval stages before settling.

Remarks • If a kelp crab hiding under tidepool grasses or algae is uncovered by surf or a human hand, it will immediately use its claws to catch and replace its cover. They are also aggressive, and will painfully pinch an unsuspecting handler. • Though members of the family Majidae are known as "decorator" or "masking" crabs, the kelp crab is notable for its relatively smooth, unadorned surface. Two rows of hooked setae (extensions) just behind its rostrum may hold seaweed, perhaps more for a late dinner than an decorative outfit.

Page 16 Discovery Tidepool Easy Being Green - Manual 2011 Pagurus Hermit Crabs Taxonomy Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Crustacea Order: Decapoda Family: Genus/species: Pagurus spp.

General Characteristics Hermit crabs have lost the hard abdominal carapace (outer covering) of their crab relatives and inhabit old empty marine snail shells for protection. The hermit crab's abdomen is strongly curved, allowing the animal to back into and grasp onto a whorled shell. Pagurus spp. grow to less than 2.5 cm (1 in).

Distribution and Habitat Pagurus spp. are common worldwide. They are found in tidepools and kelp beds from northern Japan, the Bering Strait, and south to Baja California. In central California, there are typically four species of Pagurus hermits in the intertidal zone. (See following page)

Diet in the Wild These small hermit crabs scavenge on plant material and dead animal matter.

Predators Their predators include octopuses, many fish species, and birds.

Reproduction and Development The sexes are separate; fertilization is internal. Females carry eggs and then release planktonic larvae.

Remarks • Hermit crabs do not displace a snail from its shell, but they will fight aggressively for rights to an empty shell. • Their abdomens are long, slender, soft and usually flexed to the right which allows them to fit into old snail shells, which are practically all right handed. • Hermit crabs move into larger shells as they grow. They can discriminate between and show a preference for certain shells. They often steal shells from one another but not from snails. If a new, larger shell is added to the display, one hermit crab, usually the largest, explores the new shell and may trade it for its old one. The discarded shell is fought over, and so on down the line. • Hermit crabs () have 3 pairs of walking legs. True crabs (Brachyura) have 4 pairs of walking legs. • Like many crustaceans, they have hairs on the antennules that appear to carry chemical receptors.

Discovery Tidepool Page 17

Hermit Crabs of the Discovery Tidepool

Black-eyed Hermit Crab Pagurus armatus (left) – large oval, black eyes; the tops of pincers are covered with spines, legs and claws have red and white bands.

Hairy Hermit Crab Pagurus hirsutiusculus (right) – identified by white bands and often blue bands on walking legs as well as the amount of hair covering its body.

Blue Band Hermit Crab (left) – blue bands on 2nd and 3rd legs and red unbanded antennae are distinctive features.

Grainyhand Hermit Crab Pagurus granosimanus (right) – light blue raised dots on walking legs and unbanded orange or red antennae.

Page 18 Discovery Tidepool Easy Being Green - Manual 2011 Pacific Mole Crab Taxonomy Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum: Crustacea Class: Malacostraca Order: Decapoda Family: Hippidae Genus/species: Emrita analoga

General Characteristics The Pacific mole crab is a small gray or sand-colored crab that grows up to 3.5 cm (1.4 in) long and 2.5 cm (1 in) wide. Females are larger than males. This crab swims, crawls, and burrows, always moving backwards, using its five pairs of legs. Hairs on the appendages aid in rapid movement through the sand. The first pair of antennae reach above the sand for respiration, and the eyes with long stalks often extend above the sand as well. Their common name reflects their burrowing life style.

Distribution and Habitat E.analoga is distributed along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja California and from Ecuador to Argentina and is a common inhabitant of the swash zone of the sandy intertidal beach, which ranges from the lowest to the highest reaches of the waves at any given time. The swash zone changes with the tides, and so does the location of the mole crabs. In winter, storms carry them offshore onto sandbars. In the spring, the crabs return with the sand that is transported back on shore.

Diet in the Wild The mole crab eats small organisms, mostly diatoms. When the sand is covered by a wave, the second pair of antennae are extended above the sand to collect these tiny organisms, which are brought toward the mouth and scraped off. The movement is quick; a mole crab can make several passes for food in one receding wave.

Predators Mole crabs are a major food source for shorebirds and some fish species of the surf zone, such as barred surfperch. They are also eaten by sea otters.

Reproduction and Development Females produce about one clutch of eggs per month, which they carry, like many crab species, attached on the abdomen beneath the telson until the larvae hatch. Planktonic larvae metamorphose through multiple stages, often traveling far offshore until some successfully are recruited to nearshore waters and beaches.

Remarks • Mole crabs are collected to indicate levels of DDT as well as neurotoxins produced seasonally by diatoms, substances that are toxic to birds, otters, and fish that eat them. They are also used as bait by fishermen.

Discovery Tidepool Page 19

Bat Star Taxonomy Phylum: Echinodermata Class: Asteroidea Order: Family: Genus/species: Asterina miniata

General Characteristics The bat star typically has five arms with webbing between triangular arms. The webbing gives the arms the appearance of bat wings, thus the species' common name. Color varies from solid to mottled red, orange, brown, yellow, green, purple and even blue. Many explanations have been suggested for these dramatic color variations, the most frequently cited being camouflage adapted to various environments. However, so far, no explanation has gained consensus. They reach a maximum diameter of 15 cm (6 in) or more.

Distribution and Habitat Bat stars are found from Alaska to Baja, California on various substrates, especially rock, gravel, sand, or algae from the intertidal zone to depths of 290 m (951 ft).

Diet in the Wild Typically an omnivore and scavenger, this sea star, like many others, feeds by extending its stomach over a variety of plants and animals, dead or alive. Its favorite foods are surf grass, algae, and colonial . The bat star occasionally eats other sea stars. Bat stars are known to join in groups to engulf and consume the carcass of a decaying fish.

Predators Main predators are other sea stars, molluscs, and crustaceans. Like some other sea stars, bat stars can sometimes avoid predation by secreting chemicals that evoke flight responses in other animals.

Reproduction and Development The sexes are separate with sperm and eggs broadcast into the sea where fertilization occurs. The eggs and sperm are released from five pores on the upper surface of the body, one between each pair of arms. Life span is up to 30 years in captivity.

Remarks • Over-collection by tidepool visitors has significantly reduced bat star populations in some locations, for example around the Monterey Peninsula. • Bat stars lack the pedicillariae, or pincers, common to most other sea stars and used to clear the animal of unwanted parasites and other debris. Even so, bat stars are free of debris, perhaps because small, constantly moving hairs (cilia) discourage settling.

Page 20 Discovery Tidepool Easy Being Green - Manual 2011 Pink Sea Star Taxonomy Phylum: Echinodermata Class: Asteroidea Order: Forcipulatida Family: Asteriidae Genus/species: brevispinus

General Characteristics The pink sea star reaches a maximum diameter of nearly 65 cm (2 ft); however, individuals are usually smaller. Its central disc has a raised, humplike appearance. They are robust, pink in color and have aboral spines much shorter than those of other Pisaster species, thus its scientific name, which translates as "short-spined sea star."

Distribution and Habitat They range from Sitka, Alaska to San Diego County, California. They can occasional be seen in the low intertidal zone, but are more commonly found in deeper water to 90 m (300 ft ) on sand and mud substrates, but sometimes on rocks and pier pilings in calm waters. They cannot tolerate prolonged exposure to air.

Diet in the Wild Pink sea stars prey on live , snails, sand dollars, barnacles, mussels, tube-dwelling annelid worms, and scavenge on dead fish and . On soft surfaces, P. brevispinus digs into sand or mud with its arms. It also can extend its tube feet (the ones around its disk) to a length of 20 cm (8 in). When the tube feet reach a buried in the mud, they attach and the sea star hauls it up. On shale, it can lower its stomach into the burrow of a clam and digest the animal in place.

Predators Large adults have few predators, but they may be taken by the Pycnopodia helianthoides. Sea otters have been known to detach rays to consume gonads, and sea gulls occasionally feed on individuals exposed during very low tides.

Reproduction and Development They spawn in the spring. Sexes are separate and fertilization takes place externally. Larvae disperse in the water column. Pink stars can live up to 20 years.

Remarks • Some sandy-bottom invertebrates, including the sand dollar Dendraster excentricus and the snail Olivella biplicata, can chemosense the presence of a pink star and will attempt to avoid contact by burrowing.

Discovery Tidepool Page 21

Giant Sea Star Taxonomy Phylum: Echinodermata Class: Asteroidea Order: Forcipulatida Family: Asteriidae Genus/species: Pisaster giganteus

General Characteristics Giant sea stars have five arms covered with white, pink, or purple spines surrounded by blue tissue at the base, and range in color from red, orange, brown, or even green. They have a maximum arm span of about 60 cm (23.6 in). Pisaster giganteus would seem improperly named, as the average intertidal specimen is smaller than the average P. ochraceous; however subtidal specimens grow considerably larger.

Distribution and Habitat They are distributed along the eastern Pacific coast from British Columbia to Baja California. They are common on rocky substrates, but also found on sand from the middle to lower intertidal zone down to 90 m (300 ft).

Diet in the Wild Their typical prey are hard-shelled organisms such as mussels, snails, and barnacles. However, they may occasionally eat anything slow-moving enough to be caught, such as a dying fish or , anemones, or other sea stars.

Predators Sea gulls and sea otters are sea star predators.

Reproduction and Development Individual sea stars are male or female. Both sexes release gametes into the water for external fertilization. Larvae are planktonic and have bilateral symmetry. Giant sea stars live about 20 years.

Page 22 Discovery Tidepool Easy Being Green - Manual 2011 Ochre Sea Star Taxonomy Phylum: Echinodermata Class: Asteroidea Order: Forcipulatida Family: Asteriidae Genus/species: Pisaster ochraceous

Pisaster ochraceus General Characteristics Ochre stars may have an arm radius of up to 28 cm (11 in), but the more common radius is half that figure. They typically have five arms or rays, but the number can range from four to seven. The spines on the aboral central disc form a characteristic pentagonal pattern. Their color varies from orange, violet, dark brown or mottled, but very rarely ochre. One study showed that less than 2 percent of the individuals in three local Northern California populations were “ochre” in color. When dead and dry they become ochre in color.

Distribution and Habitat Ochre stars range from Alaska to Santa Barbara County, California. They prefer the low-to- mid intertidal zones on rocky shores, especially on mussel beds, and are also found in the subtidal zone to a depth of 88 m (288 ft). Juveniles are found in crevices and under rocks.

Diet in the Wild California mussels are the favored and locally abundant prey. They also consume acorn barnacles, emarginated dogwinkles, gooseneck barnacles, owl limpets, etc. They can insert their stomach into slits as narrow as 0.1 mm between the valves of bivalves and begin digestion.

Academy Diet Chopped fish, large krill, chopped squid; it also eats other exhibit inhabitants.

Predators Adults are eaten by sea otters and seagulls. “Lucky” individuals of this hardy sea star species probably live to over 20 years.

Reproduction Sexual reproduction occurs during the spring. Gonads may be 40 percent by weight in a mature Pisaster. Fertilization is external and the larvae are free-swimming and plankton- feeding.

Conservation Status They are locally over-collected as a souvenir of a tidepool visit.

Discovery Tidepool Page 23

Leather Star Taxonomy Phylum: Echinodermata Class: Asteroidea Order: Family: Poraniidae Genus/species: Dermasterias imbricata

General Characteristics Leather stars have a distinctive pattern: a blue-gray base covered with a mottled orange/red design on the aboral surface. The body has a leathery, slippery feel. The dorsal and ventral surface is smooth, lacking the spines and pedicillariae common to other sea stars. The arm radius is 12 cm (4.75 in).

Distribution and Habitat They are found from Alaska to San Diego, and live in the rocky low tidal and subtidal zones to 90 m (300 ft).

Diet in the Wild The leather star preys on sea anemones, sea cucumbers, other invertebrates. It also feeds on diatoms.

Predators Leather stars have a pungent, garlicky or sulfurous odor which seems to render them chemically unappealing to many would-be predators, though they fall prey to sunflower stars.

Reproduction and Development The sexes are separate; sperm and eggs are broadcast into the sea where fertilization occurs. Planktonic larvae settle and metamorphose into tiny leather stars.

Remarks • Unlike other sea stars, a leather star can swallow snails, sea urchins and other prey whole and digest them internally. It also feeds like a bat star, everting its stomach onto anemones and digesting them externally. • Upon contact with a foraging leather star, one sea anemone species exhibits a dramatic escape response by detaching from the substrate and then "swimming" away by bending the column rapidly back and forth. However, the purple sea urchin, a favorite prey item of the leather star, plays offense! As a leather star approaches, the purple urchin may extend its long pedicillariae, possessed with three stout, articulating jaws, to grab onto and pinch the skin of the leather star. To add insult to injury, the urchin may inject a painful poison into the wound. The star retreats, with a cluster of now-detached urchin pedicellariae still clinging to its tube feet!

Page 24 Discovery Tidepool Easy Being Green - Manual 2011 Purple Sea Urchin Taxonomy Phylum: Echinodermata Class: Echinoidea Order: Echinoida Family: Strongylocentrotidae Genus/species: Strongylocentrotus purpuratus

General Characteristics Purple sea urchins grow up to 7 cm (3 in.) across. Like all urchins, it has a test, or skeleton, covered with purple spines, pincers (pedicellariae), and tube feet. The long suckered tube feet visible above the spines are used for locomotion and capture of food, which is then passed along to the mouth. The spines and pedicellariae discourage predators and also snare food.

Distribution and Habitat Purple sea urchins range from Vancouver Island to Baja California. They inhabit the rocky intertidal and subtidal to depths of 160 m (525 ft). The purple sea urchins of the intertidal zone are often found in rocky burrows that the animal has scraped out with its spines and five hard teeth (Aristotle’s lantern). This cozy hideaway provides great protection from predators and tidal surge though sometimes the animal grows so large it cannot escape and so must depend on currents to capture passing food. Subtidal purple urchins live, often in large numbers, on the substrate among kelp holdfasts.

Diet in the Wild Purple sea urchins feed primarily on green and brown algae, especially giant kelp.

Predators Sea otters, sunflower stars (in the Giants tank) and (in the Southern California tank) prey on purple sea urchins. A diet of these sea urchins turns otters’ bones and teeth purple. Sheephead blow over sea urchins and nibble at the oral side where the spines are shortest.

Reproduction and Development Separate sexes; broadcast sperm or eggs into the sea where random fertilization occurs. Fertilized eggs develop into planktonic larvae. Juveniles are found in a variety of habitats.

Remarks • When approached by most sea stars, the urchin allows the potential predator to get close, then uses its pincers to attack the sea star’s tube feet. Most sea star species will beat a hasty retreat; however, the sunflower star is too big and fast; the urchin cannot escape and is swallowed whole! • Visitors often ask why the sea urchin is covering itself with seaweed or shells in our tidepool. In the wild, perhaps the animal protects itself from predation, drying out, or damage from the sun’s UV light. • In southern California waters, in the absence of the , it can proliferate and devastate reefs, causing urchin-dominated barrens.

Discovery Tidepool Page 25

Northern Clingfish Taxonomy Phylum: Chordata Class: Order: Family: Genus/species: Gobiesox maeandricus

General Characteristics Like all clingfish, the northern clingfish possesses an adhesive disc, partially developed from the pelvic fins, that allows it to cling tightly to rocks or blades of kelp even in strong currents or crashing waves. The tapering, tadpole-shaped body, about 17 cm (6.5 in) long, has a single, posteriorly located dorsal fin, a fanlike caudal fin, no spines, and a flattened head. The skin is smooth and scaleless, with a thick layer of protective mucus. Its cryptic coloration makes the animal difficult to see among rocks or kelp.

Distribution and Habitat Distributed from Southeastern Alaska to Baja California, this little clingfish is usually found in shallow tidepools to depths of 8 m (26 ft). They are typically found on or under rocks or high up in the kelp.

Diet in the Wild It feeds on worms, molluscs, small crabs and other crustaceans.

Predators The clingfish is preyed upon by various aquatic animals that hunt among the rocks at high tide, and terrestrial predators such as snakes and raccoons that hunt at low tide.

Reproduction and Development The male nudges the female’s belly. If she accepts him, the male moves parallel to her and quivers, stimulating egg laying. Fertilized eggs are deposited on stones, algae, or other bottom material, and are usually guarded by the male. Larvae are planktonic. Life span is about 2 years.

Remarks • Like a number of other bottom-dwelling fishes, clingfish lack swim bladders, an internal sac used by the majority of fish species to control their position in the water. • Clingfish can adhere so tightly to a surface that a rock might be moved some distance by strong currents with the fish still attached! • Its suction cup also holds water from which the fish can extract oxygen even when exposed by a low tide.

Page 26 Discovery Tidepool Easy Being Green - Manual 2011 Sculpins Taxonomy Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Genus/species: Oligocottus snyderi Oligocottus maculosus

Tidepool Sculpin General Characteristics The fluffy sculpin (Oligocottus snyderi) and the tidepool sculpin (O. maculosus) are among the sculpin species frequently seen in the Discovery Tidepool. Most species in their family have a large head and mouth, an elongate body partly covered with scales or prickles, though some species, such as these two, are completely scaleless. Unusually large eyes are located high on the head. The pectoral fins are broad and fan-like, and the dorsal fin is deeply notched or completely divided. Sculpins lack swim bladders, a feature which, coupled with their flat heads, streamlined bodies, and broad pelvic fins, allow them to remain stationary in surge or fast-moving currents.

Distribution and Habitat Sculpins are generally restricted to cold-temperate waters, with many species clustered in the rocky intertidal zones of the North Pacific. Species of the genus Oligocottus are among the most common tidepool inhabitants along the our California coast.

Diet in the Wild Both the tidepool and fluffy sculpins feed on small crustaceans (isopods, amphipods, and copepods) and worms.

Predators Sculpins are an important food source for many other larger fishes.

Reproduction and Development Females are oviparous (egg layers). In winter and spring, female fluffy and tidepool sculpins lay adhesive eggs on rocks, where the male guards them. Life span is 2 to 3 years.

Remarks • Tidepool and fluffy sculpins show fidelity to specific tidepools and return to their pools when displaced. • They can breathe air for hours at a time, often in response to reduction in the tidepool’s oxygen at night when plants respire. •

Discovery Tidepool Page 27

Shiner Surfperch Taxonomy Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Embiotocidae Genus/species: Cymatogaster aggregata

General Characteristics Shiner surfperch are small, deep-bodied fish, silvery colored with rows of dark spots on the scales that form vague black stripes on sides, crossed by three vertical yellow bars. Their maximum length is to 20 cm (8 in).

Distribution and Habitat Shiners are found from Wrangell, Alaska to Baja California. Within their range, they are a common fish in shallow water around eelgrass beds, piers, pilings and oil platforms, and are also found in calm, shallow waters along the coast. They live in loose schools to depths of 146 m (480 ft). They are also known to enter brackish and fresh waters, and are common in San Francisco Bay.

Diet in the Wild Their diet includes small crustaceans, crab larvae, and worms, as well as planktonic copepods, amphipods, fish eggs, algae and diatoms.

Predators These small fish are preyed upon by other fishes, including kelp bass, sand bass, and halibut as well as by harbor seals. They are caught along almost all shoreline fishing areas, probably the most common fish taken by recreational anglers along the California coast and in estuaries.

Reproduction and Development • Shiner surfperch mate during the summer; young are born the following spring or summer. Fertilization is internal, embryos are nourished internally, and females give birth to about 20 live young. Litter size varies from 4–25. Some males are sexually active immediately after their birth. Females grow faster than males. Their life span is at least 6 to 8 years.

Page 28 Discovery Tidepool Easy Being Green - Manual 2011 Crevice Kelpfish Taxonomy Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Clinidae Genus/species: Gibbonsia montereyensis

General Characteristics This small fish, with a maximum length of 11 cm (4.3 in), has a slender body and head, They vary in color from reddish, green, lavender, and dark brown that provide camouflage in their specific habitat. An elongate dorsal fin extends from the head almost to the caudal fin. A dark eyespot is usually visible above the lateral line behind the pectoral fin. The head often has pigmented bars radiating from the eye. Kelpfish in this genus can be difficult to distinguish.

Distribution and Habitat Ranging from British Columbia to northern Baja California, the crevice kelpfish is found inshore, most commonly in rocky areas with kelp.

Diet in the Wild Ambush predators, kelpfish hide among kelp plants and feed on small fish, crustaceans, and molluscs.

Predators Most likely predators are other fish and perhaps birds.

Reproduction and Development The male establishes a territory, and after the female signals her receptivity, the male fertilizes the eggs and then guards them. The eggs are covered with sticky filaments which help them adhere to seaweed.

Remarks • The relatively long and narrow shape of kelpfishes mimics the shape of kelp A kelpfish also waves with the current, like the blades it is imitating, and can change color to match its surroundings, all behaviors that offer effective camouflage in a habitat with many predators for a small fish.

Discovery Tidepool Page 29

Monkeyface Eel Taxonomy Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Stichaeidae Genus/species: Cebidichthys violaceus

General Characteristics The body is long and eel-like, a body shape that allows the animal to back into crevices with only the head visible, protected from predators and watchful for a passing morsel. The fish is territorial, and rarely ventures out from its favored crevice more than 5 m (16 ft). Adults are usually uniformly colored black, olive or gray, except for black streaks across eyes. The dorsal and anal fins are edged with red. A fleshy hump above eyes is pronounced in reproductive males.

Distribution and Habitat This fish can be found along the Pacific coast from southern Oregon to north-central Baja California, though is rare south of Point Conception. Its preferred habitat is in tidepools or shallow rocky areas from the intertidal zone to a depth of 24 m (78 ft).

Diet in the Wild Juveniles eat mostly crustaceans and algae. Mature fish are mostly herbivorous.

Predators Juveniles are preyed upon by birds such as great egrets and great blue herons. Other known predators include cabezon and some rockfishes.

Reproduction and Development They spawn in nearshore habitats, laying egg masses on subtidal, rocky surfaces. The adults are known to guard the eggs. Monkeyface eels grow up to 76 cm (30 in) long and can live to at least 18 years.

Remarks • A good-tasting fish by human standards, the monkeyface eel is taken by sustenance and recreational fishermen and is also popular in the aquarium trade. • The fish, despite its common name, does not belong to the family of true eels. but rather to the prickleback family (Stichaeidae). However, the genus name, Cebidichthys violaceus or "violet monkey fish," is a delightfully accurate description. • It is able to breathe air, an excellent adaptation in an environment where exposure at extreme low tides is a threat to many other animals. If in an moist environment, it can remain out of water for 35 hours or more.

Page 30 Discovery Tidepool Easy Being Green - Manual 2011 Penpoint Gunnel Taxonomy Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Genus/species: Apodichthys flavidus

General Characteristics The penpoint gunnel has a long, narrow ribbon-like body with light spots along the sides. Its coloration may be red, brown or green. The first spine of the anal fin is large and grooved like a fountain pen point, hence the common name. The dorsal and anal fins are very long and join the caudal fin. The body may be up to 46 cm (18 in) long.

Distribution and Habitat Found from Kodiak Island, Alaska to Santa Barbara, California, it inhabits depths from shallow tidepools to subtidal areas, especially among algae, such as rockweed or other .

Diet in the Wild It feeds on small molluscs and crustaceans.

Predators Other fishes and seabirds are its most common predators. Gunnels are ecologically important forage fishes that form part of the diet of birds and some commercially important fish species, such as flounder and other flatfishes. Life span is up to 6 years.

Reproduction and Development Spawning occurs from January to April in nearshore waters. The female lays sticky eggs on a substrate where they will be guarded by the male for 2.5 months. Pairs have been observed coiled around egg masses.

Remarks • Color phases seem to vary with surroundings, controlled by two distinct body pigments. Individuals often reflect the green, brown, or red of the algae where they are collected. • Hiding in rocky crevices or among algae, they are able to breathe air when exposed at low tide. • Apodichthys [Gr.] means “fish without feet,” a reference to this genus’ lack of pelvic fins. • The rockweed gunnel, also occasionally on exhibit, looks very similar though its tiny pectoral fin is even smaller than the penpoint gunnel’s.

Discovery Tidepool Page 31