Habitat: Riprap
The garibaldi (Hypsypops rubicundus, pictured here in the outer harbor) is the California state marine fish and is found along the breakwaters and riprap embankments in the outer harbor. They feed on a variety of small invertebrates including worms, small anemones, sponges, bryozoans, crabs, and shrimps. Males are fiercely territorial and take on the responsibility of making a tidy nest made of algae for females to lay eggs in, after which the male takes on the responsibility of protecting the nest until the eggs hatch. As juveniles, garibaldi have bright blue spots, but those fade away as the fish mature.

Habitat: Riprap
The horn shark (Heterodontus francisci, pictured here on the San Pedro Breakwater) gets its name from the small spines in front of each dorsal fin on its back. These bottom-dwelling sharks are common on the breakwaters and riprap embankments throughout the harbor, hiding in caves or under ledges during the day and feeding at night on seafloor invertebrates such as sea urchins, crabs, and shrimps.

Habitat: Riprap and Seafloor
The great blue heron (Ardea herodias, pictured here next to the San Pedro Breakwater) is commonly encountered along the harbor shoreline year-round. They nest in colonies along the rocks and on artificial structures throughout the harbor. They hunt for small fish by standing or walking slowly in shallow water or near kelp canopies (pictured), waiting for their prey to swim by and striking quickly with their long neck and sharp bill.

Habitat: Riprap and Seafloor
Spiny lobsters (Panulirus interruptus, pictured here in the outer harbor), are important predators found throughout the harbor, using rock crevices and caves as well as pilings for shelter during the day. At night, they emerge to roam the reef and eelgrass beds to hunt for prey such as sea urchins and other small invertebrates, although they will also eat algae and eelgrass. In Southern California, there are valuable commercial and recreational fisheries for spiny lobster that have been managed by the state of California for over 100 years.

Habitat: Riprap
The harbors support large beds of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) that grow on the rocky breakwaters (pictured here) and riprap embankments in the outer harbor. Each stipe (or stem) of this rapidly-growing alga is held upright by small gas-filled bladders at the base of each of the leaflike blades, which form a canopy when they reach the surface. The kelp provides important habitat for fishes, invertebrates, and marine mammals. As kelp blades fall off and fragment, they drift to the seafloor and become food for numerous animals. Storms and strong waves can also dislodge or break kelp off the rocks, which can then drift into the inner harbor and provide food for animals far away from where the kelp grew.

Habitat: Riprap
Of the seven species of abalone in California, three were found in the 2018 surveys of the harbor; pink (Haliotis corrugata, pictured here in the outer harbor); green (H. fulgens) and white abalone (H. sorenseni). Using their strong foot, they attach to rocks and feed on algae that has broken off and settled to the seafloor. Nearly wiped out by commercial and recreational fishing, abalone have been protected in Southern California since the 1990s and the white abalone was the first marine invertebrate to be federally listed as an endangered species in 2001. An isolated white abalone individual discovered in the harbor during the 2018 survey and was recovered by NOAA Fisheries staff to be placed in a captive breeding program. The goal of the program is to produce young abalone that can be reintroduced into the wild to preserve these animals for the future.

Habitat: Pelagic
Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina, pictured here on the San Pedro Breakwater) are the second-most commonly encountered marine mammal in the harbor. They can be distinguished from California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) by their lack of ear flaps and their short front flippers. They can be seen swimming in the open water or hauled out on the sand or on rocks, where they rest to avoid predators and to warm themselves after diving for prey such as small fish, crustaceans, and shellfish.

Habitat: Riprap
Gorgonians (such as Muricea pictured here in the outer harbor) are a type of soft coral that grow on riprap and pilings throughout the harbor but are especially common on the breakwaters. Each gorgonian is actually a colony composed of thousands of individual polyps that secrete calcium to form the fan-like structure. Red, brown, and golden gorgonians are found in the harbor, usually in areas with strong currents that deliver food such as plankton and organic matter that the polyps can filter out of the water

Habitat: Riprap and Seafloor
Red (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus) and purple urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, pictured here in the outer harbor) are common herbivores in the harbor, feeding on algae attached to rocks as well as on kelp that has broken off and settled on the seafloor. Hiding in crevices and caves during the day, urchins are active at night looking for food on the rocks or seafloor.