Habitat: Seafloor and Riprap
Bat stars (Patiria miniata) , pictured here in the outer harbor, come in a variety of colors including purple, brown, yellow, orange, red and white which can be solid or mottled. As omnivores and scavengers, bat stars play an important role in the food web by eating dead plants, algae, and animals from the seafloor.

Habitat: Pilings and Seafloor.
The large amount of pilings in the inner harbor create favorable habitat for predators such as barred sand bass (Paralabrax nebulifer), pictured here in the inner harbor. As juveniles, these fish eat crabs and small shrimp, but adults hunt other smaller fishes, such as anchovies, which are common in the area.

Habitat: Riprap, Pilings, Seafloor.
Gobies and blennies are small fish that can create burrows in soft sediments on the seafloor and shelter in cracks and crevices on riprap and pilings. In 2018, they were among the most common and abundant planktonic larval fish detected throughout the harbor. Illustrations courtesy of CalCOFI Atlas 33

Habitat: Riprap and Pilings.
There are two species of oysters common in the harbor, the native Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida; pictured here in the inner harbor). Olympia oysters grow to a size of only 2-3 inches and are about 20 times more abundant in the harbor than the non-native species, which is more conspicuous when growing on pilings as it can reach sizes of 10 inches. Oysters feed by filtering plankton and organic material out of the water.

Habitat: Riprap and Pilings.
Rock scallops (Crassadoma gigantea), pictured here in the inner harbor, are distinguishable by their orange or blue-green mantle between the shell opening with a row of blue eyes across each mantle. In the harbor, these animals are commonly observed attached to riprap and pilings in the subtidal zone, at times reaching sizes of up to 9-10 inches across. Rock scallops feed by filtering plankton and organic material out of the water.

Habitat: Riprap and Pilings.
The Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) pictured here in the outer harbor is a non-native species that has been introduced into coastal habitats worldwide, both unintentionally through shipping and purposefully through aquaculture. Often abundant in intertidal habitats throughout the harbor, mussels feed by filtering plankton and organic material out of the water.

Habitat: Seafloor.
Tube anemones (pictured here in the outer harbor) live in soft sediments and form a leathery tube that can extend several feet into the seafloor. They are eaten by predatory snails called nudibranchs, in addition to fish species such as sand bass that will nip off the delicate tentacles. When attacked, the anemone can retreat into its tube for protection and has the ability to regenerate lost tentacles.

Habitat: Riprap, Pilings.
These colorful tubeworms, sometimes called feather-duster or Christmas tree worms (pictured here in the outer harbor), can occur on hard substrate like riprap or pilings from the intertidal zone down to depths over 1,000 ft. The colorful plume is both the gills and feeding structure of the worm, and can be quickly retracted into the tube to protect from predation. The worms feed on suspended particles such as plankton and organic matter.

Habitat: Pelagic, Pilings, and Riprap.
Gulls (pictured here in the inner harbor) are the most common type of bird observed throughout the harbor, representing 38% of the nearly 49,000 birds observed and identified during the 2018 biological surveys. The western gull (Larus occidentalis) is a year-round resident and is the most abundant gull species in the harbor. In fall and winter, migratory gull species such as Heermann’s gull (L. heermanni), ring-billed gull (L. delawarensis), and California gull (L. californica) all use the harbor to rest and forage for food.

Habitat: Riprap, Pilings, Seafloor.
Tunicates, or ‘sea squirts’, are commonly found in the harbor on the seafloor and riprap (pictured here in the inner harbor), and can be very abundant on pilings. More than half of the tunicate species that are present in the harbors are non-native, with Ciona (pictured) one of the most abundant. Tunicates can be solitary or colonial, and feed by filtering plankton and organic material out of the water.