| California bat ray, Myliobatis californica, amid kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera | Garibaldi, Hypsypops rubicundus, between two kelp plants. | Salema, Xenistius californiensis, schooling amid kelp. | Blacksmith chromis, Chromis punctipinnis, schooling amid kelp. | Jack mackeral, Trachurus symmetricus, schooling under kelp canopy | Pacific torpedo ray, Torpedo californica, hovering in a kelp forest near filmaker's torchlights. | Jack mackeral, Trachurus symmetricus, schooling around kelp | Two small (0.5") proliferating anemones, Epiactis prolifera, attached to a kelp stipe. Note the miniture baby anemones budding around the base of the upper adult anemone. | Kelp encrusting bryozoan, Membranipora sp., growing on kelp fronds. | Purple sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, eating the holdfast of a kelp plant. | Sometimes the kelp's holdfast will fail, and the kelp plant will drift off. It will float at the surface and continue to grow until it is beached or reaches water that is too warm. While drifting in the open ocean, it becomes a gathering point for offshore marine life. Bait, flying fish and juvenile fish seek protection amidst drift kelp. | Halfmoon perch, Medialuna californiensis, aggregrating around drift kelp in the open ocean. Medialuna lay their eggs directly on drifting kelp. | | The ocean sunfish (Mola mola) is the world's largest known bony fish (sharks and rays are cartilaginous). At least one estimate over 3000 lb. has been recorded and individuals reaching 11 ft. (3 m.) from fin tip to fin tip have been seen.
This ocean sunfish, Mola mola, is often found near drift kelp. The sunfish recruits small fish found near the drift kelp to clean it of parasites. | Blue sharks, Prionace glauca, are often seen searching for food near drift kelp. | This Pacific white-sided dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens, is seen playing with a piece of drift kelp. Although such behavior is common, it is difficult to capture on film. | Kelp forest, California | This tiny juvenile treefish, Sebastes serriceps, is seen hiding among the holdfast stipes of some drift kelp, miles out to sea. As it matures and the kelp nears the coast, the treefish will eventually hazard a trip through the water column to the ocean bottom far below, where it will spend the remainder of its life. |
