In late April, I photographed this fish resting between two Ochre Sea Stars. I'm not sure what type of fish it is, but it was fun to see how well it matched the colors and patterns of the sea stars.
Here's a close-up of the head:
If you can identify the fish, let me know!
Cabezon! Scorpaenichthys marmoratus.
ReplyDeleteFrom Miller and Lea (Guide to Coastal Marine Fishes of California):
Baja Ca to Alaska, intertidal to 250', reddish to greenish with intense dark and light mottling.
Diagnostic feature: a large broad-based cirrus extending along midline of snout.
You can see the cirrus along the snout in your pictures really well.
What a beautiful fish!