• Guides
  • The Oregon Coast Aquarium Intertidal Species Guide
Offline access enabled

The Oregon Coast Aquarium Intertidal Species Guide

This guide is meant to assist participants in our BioBlitz events with making accurate identifications of the species they observe.

Giant Green Anemone 1
Anthopleura xanthogrammica
Ochre Sea Star 2
Pisaster ochraceus
Aggregating Anemone 3
Anthopleura elegantissima
Acorn Barnacle 4
Balanus glandula
Gooseneck Barnacle
Pollicipes polymerus
Giant Acorn Barnacle 5
Balanus nubilus
Thatched Barnacle 6
Semibalanus cariosus
By-the-wind Sailor 7
Velella velella
Styela montereyensis 8
Dungeness Crab 9
Metacarcinus magister
Gumboot Chiton 10
Cryptochiton stelleri
leather bryozoan
Flustrellidra corniculata
Black Leather Chiton 11
Katharina tunicata
Purple Shore Crab 12
Hemigrapsus nudus
Striped Shore Crab 13
Pachygrapsus crassipes
Whitecap Limpet 14
Acmaea mitra
California Mussel 15
Mytilus californianus
Rough Keyhole Limpet 16
Diodora aspera
Opalescent Nudibranch 17
Hermissenda opalescens
Ophlitaspongia pennata
Sunflower Sea Star 18
Pycnopodia helianthoides
Red Sea Urchin 14
Strongylocentrotus franciscanus
Pacific Purple Sea Urchin 19
Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Channeled Dog Winkle 14
Nucella canaliculata
Striped Dogwinkle 20
Nucella ostrina
Lurid Rocksnail 21
Ocinebrina lurida
Callithamnion pikeanum 6
Giant Feather Duster Worm 14
Eudistylia polymorpha
Turkish Towel 22
Chondracanthus exasperatus
Cryptopleura lobulifera 23
Sea Sacks 24
Halosaccion glandiforme
Mazzaella flaccida 25
Mazzaella linearis 26
green rope 27
Acrosiphonia coalita
Green pin-cushion alga 28
Cladophora columbiana
Sea Lettuce 29
Ulva lactuca
Southern stiff-stiped kelp 30
Laminaria setchellii
Dead Man's Fingers 15
Codium fragile
Ulva fenestrata 20
Sea Palm 31
Postelsia
Moonglow Anemone 32
Anthopleura artemisia
Giant Green Anemone 1
Anthopleura xanthogrammica
Brooding Anemone 33
Epiactis prolifera
Acorn Barnacle 4
Balanus glandula
Giant Acorn Barnacle 5
Balanus nubilus
Aggregating Anemone 3
Anthopleura elegantissima
Christmas Anemone 34
Urticina crassicornis
Gooseneck Barnacle
Pollicipes polymerus
Thatched Barnacle 6
Semibalanus cariosus
leather bryozoan
Flustrellidra corniculata
Styela montereyensis 8
California Spiny Chiton 16
Nuttallina californica
Gumboot Chiton 10
Cryptochiton stelleri
Gould's baby chiton 16
Lepidochitona dentiens
By-the-wind Sailor 7
Velella velella
Woody Chiton 10
Mopalia lignosa
Mossy Chiton 35
Mopalia muscosa
Black Leather Chiton 11
Katharina tunicata
Lined Chiton 36
Tonicella lineata
Hairy Chiton 37
Mopalia ciliata
Veiled Chiton 16
Placiphorella velata
Pacific Rock Crab 38
Romaleon antennarium
Dungeness Crab 9
Metacarcinus magister
Pygmy Rock Crab
Glebocarcinus oregonensis
Striped Shore Crab 13
Pachygrapsus crassipes
Red Rock Crab 14
Cancer productus
Purple Shore Crab 12
Hemigrapsus nudus
pubescent porcelain crab 16
Pachycheles pubescens
Yellow Shore Crab 14
Hemigrapsus oregonensis
Thickclaw Porcelain Crab 33
Pachycheles rudis
Bering Hermit 18
Pagurus beringanus
Grainy Hermit Crab 39
Pagurus granosimanus
Hairy Hermit Crab 40
Pagurus hirsutiusculus
Blueband Hermit Crab 10
Pagurus samuelis
Flat Porcelain Crab 41
Petrolisthes cinctipes
Graceful Kelp Crab
Pugettia gracilis
Northern Kelp Crab
Pugettia producta
Cryptic Kelp Crab 5
Pugettia richii
Harford's Isopod 28
Cirolana harfordi
Common Rock Louse 38
Ligia pallasii
Rockweed isopod 42
Pentidotea wosnesenskii
Eelgrass Isopod 39
Idotea resecata
Small Isopod
Synidotea bicuspida
Seaweed Isopod 43
Idotea stenops
Rough Keyhole Limpet 16
Diodora aspera
Lottia asmi 44
Owl Limpet
Lottia gigantea
Shield Limpet 45
Lottia pelta
Rough Limpet 21
Lottia scabra
Mask Limpet 46
Lottia persona
Rough Limpet 21
Lottia scabra
Fingered Limpet
Lottia digitalis
California Mussel 15
Mytilus californianus
Northern Bay Mussel 47
Mytilus trossulus
Nanaimo Horned Dorid 48
Acanthodoris nanaimoensis
Three-lined Aeolid 5
Flabellina trilineata
Common Grey Sea Slug 49
Aeolidia papillosa
White Dendronotus 5
Dendronotus albus
Monterey Doris 32
Doris montereyensis
San Diego Dorid 16
Diaulula sandiegensis

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

Photo Credits

  • 1. (c) Stephen Bentsen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 2. (c) Steven Pavlov, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  • 3. (c) Richard Droker, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 4. (c) John D Reynolds, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by John D Reynolds
  • 5. (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda
  • 6. (c) Alison Young, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Alison Young
  • 7. (c) Keith Daly, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 8. (c) Jerry Kirkhart, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 9. (c) hj_west, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  • 10. (c) Don Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 11. (c) Images by John 'K', some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 12. (c) Dan Hershman, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 13. (c) Peter D. Tillman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  • 14. (c) Donna Pomeroy, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Donna Pomeroy
  • 15. (c) tsoleau, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 16. (c) Robin Gwen Agarwal, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Robin Gwen Agarwal
  • 17. (c) Ken Bondy, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 18. (c) Paul Norwood, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Paul Norwood
  • 19. (c) Sarka Martinez, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Sarka Martinez
  • 20. (c) Rosa Laucci, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Rosa Laucci
  • 21. (c) Liam O'Brien, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Liam O'Brien
  • 22. (c) 101595408250610106310, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by 101595408250610106310
  • 23. (c) Judith Bush, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Judith Bush
  • 24. (c) anyoung78, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by anyoung78
  • 25. (c) faerthen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by faerthen
  • 26. (c) Gary W. Saunders, University of New Brunswick, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 27. (c) Brianne Nelson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Brianne Nelson
  • 28. no rights reserved
  • 29. (c) lesismore, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by lesismore
  • 30. (c) Bill Bouton, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  • 31. (c) Peter Gorman, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 32. (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 33. (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 34. (c) Minette Layne, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  • 35. (c) Sarah Chinn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Sarah Chinn
  • 36. (c) Matt Knoth, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 37. (c) pliffgrieff, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 38. no rights reserved, uploaded by Scott Loarie
  • 39. (c) Susannah Anderson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 40. (c) marlin harms, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 41. (c) Don Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 42. (c) 1999 California Academy of Sciences, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
  • 43. (c) Tony Iwane, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Tony Iwane
  • 44. (c) Femorale, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 45. (c) Gena Bentall, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Gena Bentall
  • 46. (c) Sarka Martinez, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Sarka Martinez
  • 47. (c) catchang, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by catchang
  • 48. (c) amy lemur, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 49. (c) lhillmann, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Member of the iNaturalist Network   |   Powered by iNaturalist open source software |   Documentation for developers