You’ve colored the funky sea creatures that live under Pismo Beach pier so now it’s time to learn more about them! Every critter has an important job in keeping the water healthy so that all of the animals and plants can enjoy living there, too.
Once you’ve learned more about these ocean pals, head down to the Pismo Pier to see if you can find them! Some will be in the water while others live on the pilings. Some may even be hiding under rocks or too deep in the ocean to see.
Our favorite time to look for animals is during low tide. That’s when you can find the most peaking out to say hi!
What is the intertidal zone?
Most of our creatures live in a special area called the intertidal zone!
This is the area of the beach between the high tide and low tide. It’s like a giant, watery playground that changes a lot because sometimes it’s covered with water, and sometimes it’s not! Unique creatures live here because they can often live in water or on land, unlike most fish or land mammals!
Ochre Sea Star (Pisaster ochraceus)
California Sea Stars are colorful animals. They have five arms covered in tiny suction cups, which help them move and catch food. These sea stars eat clams, mussels, and other small sea animals by opening their shells with their strong arms. If a sea star loses an arm, it can grow a new one!
Fun fact: Sea stars can live for up to 35 years in the wild and have two stomachs!
Where to find them: Sea stars often live on rocks or pilings, but sometimes on the ocean floor too!
Eccentric Sand Dollars (Dendraster excentricus)
Sand dollars are flat and round animals. They have tiny spines all over their bodies that help them move and bury themselves in the sand. They eat tiny bits of food floating in the water by catching them with their spines and moving them to their mouths.
Fun fact: The flower-like pattern on sand dollar help them feed and breathe underwater!
Where to find them: Empty shells can be found in the sand, while the purple ones inside their shells should be in the water. They don’t like the air so it’s best to leave the purple ones alone if you find one!
Wooley Sculpin (Clinocottus analis)
The Wooley Sculpin is a small fish that lives at the bottom of the ocean floor. They have rough, spiny body blend into the rocky or sandy seafloor. If you see one, don’t try to pick it up! It has spiney fans around it’s head and doesn’t like being out of the water. Woolly Sculpins eat small creatures like shrimp and crabs.
Fun fact: Some sculpins can change color to blend in with their surroundings, making them great underwater hide-and-seek players!
Where to find them: They like hanging out in shallow water. On a low tide, you might be able to find them stuck in a small tide pool. They’ll be able to get out once the tide rises again!
Striped Shore Crab (Pachygrapsus crassipes)
The Striped Shore Crab is a small crab with stripes on its shell. It hides among rocks, seaweed, or sand. This crab feeds on algae abd small invertebrates. Its striped pattern helps it blend into the surroundings, providing camouflage from predators.
Fun fact: They can breathe both in and out of the water!
Where to find them: You can find them around and under rocks in the tidal zone.
Gooseneck barnacle (Pollicipes polymerus)
The gooseneck barnacle has a long and curved neck that attaches it to rocks and pilings. Its shell is made up of overlapping plates that form a cone-shaped structure. Gooseneck Barnacles feed by extending their feathery appendages to catch small food floating in the water.
Fun fact: They have long necks like a goose and use a special, strong “glue” to stick themselves to things like rocks and piers!
Where to find them: They attach to pilings and rocks in the intertidal zone (where they can be in or out of the water!)
Owl Limpets (Lottia gigantea)
Owl Limpets are the snails of the ocean! They have dome-shaped shells with a pointed, owl-like appearance. These shells are usually patterned with lines, which helps them blend into rocky or sandy habitats. They eat algae and other small organisms on the ocean floor, using their rough, tongue-like radula to scrape food off surfaces.
Fun fact: These limpits have their very own parking spot on the rock that they always come back to! It fits their shell perfectly.
Where to find them: Limpits live on rocks or pilings. They cling tightly onto them with their strong muscle so that they waves can’t knock them off!
California Two Spot Octopus (Octopus bimaculoides)
The California Two Spot Octopus is a small and colorful octopus. It has distinctive dark spots so it blends into its rocky and sandy places. This octopus uses its eight arms to find small food like crabs and shrimp. It can also squeeze into tiny and tight spaces, making it a great hunter and escape artist!
Fun fact: It has two blue spots on its body that look like eyes, even though they aren’t real eyes. These spots help scare away predators, making them think the octopus is bigger and tougher than it really is.
Where to find them: These octopi are great at hiding and will rarely be seen out in the open. They hide around rocks.
California Mussels (Mytilus californianus):
California Mussels have dark, elongated shells that can be blue, black, or brown. They mussels attach themselves to rocks and other surfaces using small, string-like structures called byssal threads! They filter plankton and other small particles from the water to eat. This means they play an important role in maintaining water quality, which helps all the rest of these creatures to survive!
Fun fact: California Mussels are tough with temperature! They can survive in the cold water of winter and the warm temperatures of summer.
Where to find them: Mussels will attach on pilings of the pier! You’ll see them covering the entire intertidal zone!
Next time you’re in Pismo Beach, take a stroll under the pier and see how many of these amazing creatures you can spot! Whether they’re clinging to rocks, tucked away in tide pools, or swimming in the shallow waters, each one plays a vital role in keeping this underwater world thriving. Remember, the best way to appreciate these critters is to observe them carefully and let them stay in their natural homes. So grab your camera, head to the pier at low tide, and dive into the wonders waiting beneath the waves!
