Picture of the Day

Orange-spotted Sea Clown

There are over 100 species of nudibranchia in California, and each has its own unique and interesting story. Many are brightly colored, but some blend into their surroundings or match their prey (upon which they may live). These are such beautiful creatures -- it is hard to imagine that some animals find them toxic. Shown here is a sea slug known as Triopha catalinae. It is just one of the thousands of species of "tidepool treasures" -- marine plants and animals found in the small bodies of water left by the ebbing tide that fill the rock basins and depressions along California's rocky shores.
