In the pools

After field work along the central Oregon coast today, we searched a few tidepools and discovered some interesting inhabitants.


A wonderfully green sculpin with pink markings below the eyes and at the base of the pectoral fins.  The green color matches the surfgrass and the pink matches the coralline algae.

 

 

A nudibranch (sea slug) that reminded me of a lion's mane.  This is Janolus fuscus.

 

 

And a large colony of Tubularia (a hydroid).

 

This may be the same species that I photographed under a microscope in August.  You can read more about Tubularia here.