Intertidal Guide for Hearst San Simeon State Park

The intertidal zone bordering the coastline of Hearst San Simeon SP is abundant with a variety of plants and animals. Now you can identify them! Browse the field guide, or use the tags on the left to search by taxonomy. Click each entry for more photos and information about each species. ...more ↓

All 49

Lion's Mane Nudibranch ¹
Melibe leonina

Gumboot Chiton ²
Cryptochiton stelleri

Owl Limpet ³
Lottia gigantea

Giant Rock Scallop ⁴
Crassadoma gigantea

Purple Dwarf Olive ⁵
Olivella biplicata

California Mussel ⁶
Mytilus californianus

California Spiny Chiton ⁷
Nuttallina californica

Fingered Limpet
Lottia digitalis

Green Falsejingle ⁸
Pododesmus macrochisma

Leafy Hornmouth
Ceratostoma foliatum

Pacific Razor Clam ⁹
Siliqua patula

Mossy Chiton ¹⁰
Mopalia muscosa

Channeled Basket Snail ¹¹
Nassarius fossatus

Eroded Periwinkle ¹²
Littorina keenae

Fat Gaper ¹³
Tresus capax

Slippery Moss-snail ¹⁴
Cochlicopa lubrica

Northwest Ugly Clam
Entodesma navicula

Hearty Petricola ¹
Petricola carditoides

Spotted Unicorn ¹⁵
Acanthinucella punctulata

Cooper's Nutmeg ¹⁶
Cancellaria cooperii

Monterey Tegula ⁷
Tegula montereyi

Black Tegula ¹⁷
Tegula funebralis

Coffee Bean Trivia ¹⁸
Pseudopusula californiana

Pacific Purple Sea Urchin ¹⁹
Strongylocentrotus purpuratus

Giant Pink Sea Star ¹⁵
Pisaster brevispinus

Ochre Sea Star ²⁰
Pisaster ochraceus

Starburst Anemone ²¹
Anthopleura sola

Giant Green Anemone ²²
Anthopleura xanthogrammica

Aggregating Anemone ²³
Anthopleura elegantissima

By-the-wind Sailor ²⁴
Velella velella

Striped Shore Crab ¹⁵
Pachygrapsus crassipes

Gooseneck Barnacle ²⁵
Pollicipes polymerus

Blueband Hermit Crab ²
Pagurus samuelis

Northern Kelp Crab
Pugettia producta

California Beach Flea ²⁶
Megalorchestia californiana

Graceful Rock Crab ²⁷
Metacarcinus gracilis

Western Sea Roach ²⁸
Ligia occidentalis

Common Rough Woodlouse ²⁹
Porcellio scaber

California Barnacle ⁷
Megabalanus californicus

Menesiniella aquila ³⁰

Tidepool Sculpin ⁷
Oligocottus maculosus

Blue Mussel ³¹
Mytilus edulis

Edited by robynchase, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

Photo Credits

1. (c) Donna Pomeroy, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Donna Pomeroy
2. (c) Don Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY)
3. (c) tsoleau, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
4. (c) Matthew O'Donnell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Matthew O'Donnell
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8. (c) Eric Running, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Eric Running
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14. (c) Aydin Örstan, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
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17. (c) Phil Liff-Grieff, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Phil Liff-Grieff
18. (c) BJ Stacey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by BJ Stacey
19. (c) Sarka Martinez, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Sarka Martinez
20. (c) Steven Pavlov, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
21. (c) Ed Bierman, some rights reserved (CC BY)
22. (c) Stephen Bentsen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
23. (c) Richard Droker, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
24. (c) Keith Daly, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
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26. (c) Ingrid Taylar, some rights reserved (CC BY)
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30. (c) dlbowls, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by dlbowls
31. (c) Emőke Dénes, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

Intertidal Guide for Hearst San Simeon State Park

Lion's Mane Nudibranch 1 Melibe leonina

Gumboot Chiton 2 Cryptochiton stelleri

Owl Limpet 3 Lottia gigantea

Giant Rock Scallop 4 Crassadoma gigantea

Purple Dwarf Olive 5 Olivella biplicata

California Mussel 6 Mytilus californianus

California Spiny Chiton 7 Nuttallina californica

Fingered Limpet Lottia digitalis

Green Falsejingle 8 Pododesmus macrochisma

Leafy Hornmouth Ceratostoma foliatum

Pacific Razor Clam 9 Siliqua patula

Mossy Chiton 10 Mopalia muscosa

Channeled Basket Snail 11 Nassarius fossatus

Eroded Periwinkle 12 Littorina keenae

Fat Gaper 13 Tresus capax

Slippery Moss-snail 14 Cochlicopa lubrica

Northwest Ugly Clam Entodesma navicula

Hearty Petricola 1 Petricola carditoides

Spotted Unicorn 15 Acanthinucella punctulata

Cooper's Nutmeg 16 Cancellaria cooperii

Monterey Tegula 7 Tegula montereyi

Black Tegula 17 Tegula funebralis

Coffee Bean Trivia 18 Pseudopusula californiana

Pacific Purple Sea Urchin 19 Strongylocentrotus purpuratus

Giant Pink Sea Star 15 Pisaster brevispinus

Ochre Sea Star 20 Pisaster ochraceus

Starburst Anemone 21 Anthopleura sola

Giant Green Anemone 22 Anthopleura xanthogrammica

Aggregating Anemone 23 Anthopleura elegantissima

By-the-wind Sailor 24 Velella velella

Striped Shore Crab 15 Pachygrapsus crassipes

Gooseneck Barnacle 25 Pollicipes polymerus

Blueband Hermit Crab 2 Pagurus samuelis

Northern Kelp Crab Pugettia producta

California Beach Flea 26 Megalorchestia californiana

Graceful Rock Crab 27 Metacarcinus gracilis

Western Sea Roach 28 Ligia occidentalis

Common Rough Woodlouse 29 Porcellio scaber

California Barnacle 7 Megabalanus californicus

Menesiniella aquila 30

Tidepool Sculpin 7 Oligocottus maculosus

Blue Mussel 31 Mytilus edulis