Recent Observations

The following are some recent observations of animals I found throughout the San Francisco Bay area:

1) Monkey-faced prickleback eel (Cebidichthys violaceus): Someone was fishing for these eels in the tide pools at Pillar Point.

2) White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)

3) Whelk (Buccinum undatum)

4) Hairy Hermit Crab (Pagurus hirsutiusculus)

5) Sea Lettuce (Ulva lactuca)

I found all these observations on March 7, when I went to Pillar Point to check out the tide pools there. What I found most interesting about my trip was the incredible number of predator-prey relationships in such a geographically small area. The whelks and limpets fed on black turban snails. The starfish varieties all preyed on the California mussels. An elusive octopus somewhere in the tide pools was feeding on a variety of animals. The anemones seemed to eat anything that fell into their mouths (I personally checked this fact). The numerous predator-prey relationships existing in such a small area and across such a small elevation range contrasts with the relationships I'm used to seeing on land. The terrestrial predator-prey relationships I'm most used to are raptor's relationships with their prey. When I see hawks around my home in Los Angeles, I see them soar high in the sky above a wide area of land and swoop down to catch rabbits, snakes, and other small creatures to eat. Seeing predatory behavior up close when searching the tide pools was enjoyable and eye-opening for me.

Posted on March 13, 2013 07:17 PM by