Some from So. California this past summer...

[Sam Miller III]

The abalone is a California " Green Abalone" ~~ Haliotis fulgens ~~
Abalones are identified by shape of shell, topography of the shell, number of holes, general color of shell, color of the flesh, color and size of lace

They can also be isolated by depth, water temperature and location
Southern California abalones are generally identified by depth , Blacks, greens, pinks and white ( aka Sorenson) and on occasion a "threaded abalone" which are found in deep water and generally small in size .

The red abalone H. rufescens is generally located in cold water from Oregon to Baja California, but seldom seen in the channel islands area.

SDM

 

[laikabear]

[QUOTE="Trailboss123, post: 7859803, member: 450907" #7 is definitely not a Giant Sea Star. They have 24 arms and are found up north in the Pugent Sound. They are currently making a comeback after the virus die off the last 2 years. [/QUOTE]

I don't think we (Trailboss and I) are talking about the same starfish. Giant Spined Star (Pisaster giganteus) does not have 24 arms. Although, you are right, it can get very large, up to 22" across. I have never seen a starfish that big.

I too will defer to Max. I haven't been diving very long and learned most of the fish, invert, and algae ID from Reef Check. They taught us certain species but not others. It can be tough when you see something that looks like one that you know, but it might be something similar that you didn't learn. That is one of my biggest challenges in ID'ing local stuff.

When I looked up Knobby Sea Star I found this. That can't be right.

@MaxBottomtime , do you know the scientific name of that sea star? I tend to use the common names but I wonder if we are both identifying the same star with a different common name.

Not trying to be contentious as I have little experience with ID; I just want to learn. Love your photos by the way.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Laikabear, just checked at home before work. The last 2 photos, of the gopher rockfish, were taken a minute apart on the same date, with one pic of another fish in-between. So, they might well be the same fish, though I'm not certain of it.

MaxBottomTime, I think your thread accidentally put another pic twice, instead of showing the black-and-yellow rockfish.

Thanks, all!

Richard.

Fixed. We have so many species of rockfish on the West Coast that it's hard to keep up with them. Some only occur in certain places but some overlap. We don't get China rockfish in Palos Verdes but we also don't see many black and yellow except at Pt. Vicente. The Sunset looks almost identical to the vermilion but is in deeper water. I photographed that large Sunset rockfish on the UB88 in 190 feet. The vermilion was in 60.
Some change appearance as they age. The juvenile Vermilion looks nothing like the adult.

Juvenile Vermilion rockfish

The juvenile treefish looks almost tropical compared to an adult.

Adult treefish

Juvenile treefish

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Knobby or giant spined sea star, Pisaster giganteus
Star Thrower Educational Multimedia (S.T.E.M.) Dive Dry Column

Giant Spined Star

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I found an old shot of a cabezon next to a lingcod for comparison.

 

[drbill]

Keep in mind that there are two different species of two-spot octopus in our waters. Generally hard to tell them apart from pictures.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I can tell them apart. One lives at the islands and one lives near the mainland.
Other than that, I'd have to ask one if it's a bimaculoides or bimaculatus.