Invertebrates
See our handy guide to critters found in local homes and our Central Coast Butterfly FAQ. Browse the insects and other terrestrial arthropods we’ve identified. Check out local marine invertebrates, particularly bivalve mollusks and intertidal organisms.
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- Recently Asked
Blob on the beach
Hello! I was wondering if you could help me figure out what this is...we found it at the UCSB beach. We tried to save it, but it looked like we might have been too late :-(
Curator Response
Hi Marc,
Thank you for sending us your mystery beach invertebrate, and for caring about marine wildlife. This looks like a California Sea Hare (Aplysia californica), an herbivorous intertidal sea slug that—when large and out of the water—can take on this sad appearance of a deflated football. When alive and moving around, they can be quite handsome. We have included a photo of a live one here. They get their name from the resemblance of their sensory appendages (called rhinophores) to cute bunny ears.
You can learn more about these animals and other local marine animals at the Sea Center on Stearns Wharf—sometimes we have a live sea hare on display in Intertidal Wonders, and frequently on the Wet Deck we find the smaller, more colorful sea slugs called nudibranchs.
Stay curious,
Sea Center Naturalist and Volunteer Program Manager Tessa Cafritz
