Pachygrapsus crassipes – Like all crustaceans, these crabs have gills, but they can survive out of water for up to 70 hours. They have been known to eat everything in the intertidal, including their own species. They can be found throughout all zones of the intertidal, but are usually resting in shady cracks and crevices.

Mytilus californianus – Mussel beds form a very important habitat for more than 300 marine species. These filter feeders have numerous natural predators such as sea stars, shore birds, and sea otters, but often are disturbed and collected by humans for bait and aquaria, or killed by incidental trampling.

Neobernaya spadicea – The chestnut cowrie is named for its beautiful chestnut-colored polished shell. These snails are the only cowrie found in the east Pacific Ocean. Often hiding under rocks and protected crevices, these creatures are carnivorous eating sea anemone, sea sponges, and other dead organisms.  

Pisaster ochraceus – The ochre star is the most common sea star in the intertidal. It can eat anything that can’t move out of the way including snails, barnacles, chitons, and mussels. Identified as a keystone species, ochre sea stars allow for a diverse rocky marine intertidal. Its only known predators are sea otters and gulls.

Mopalia muscosa – Chitons like this mossy chiton, are snail-like mollusks. They have a single muscular foot, and 8 jointed shell plates. It stays in one place during the day leading visitors to assume that they are fossils, but at night they move and graze on algae growing on the rocks.

Aplysia Californica – Sea Hares are named for their broad antennae that look like a hare’s ears. They are herbivores, so they eat red, brown, and green algae. They can release a dark purple ink if disturbed or irritated. They have been observed to lay almost 480 million eggs in one season.

Panulirus interruptus – Unlike Maine lobsters, California spiny lobsters do not have huge front claws. Instead, all their appendages are used for walking. They shed their exoskeletons periodically as they grow, and their molts can be found along the shoreline. These lobsters will hide in crevices during the day and move around at night feeding on sea urchins and mussels. A few predators of the spiny lobster are the California sheepshead, sea bass, and sea otters.

Patiria miniata – Bat stars are named for their webbed arms. They come in a huge variety of colors and can have mottled patterns. They eat algae and animals, both dead and alive. Other sea stars, mollusks, and crustaceans will feast on these bat stars.