1) Striped Mullet-Mugil Cephalus

The fish often seen jumping in shallow, muddy coastal areas like the Batiquitos Lagoon are known as the striped mullet. They jump to clear their gills of mud, sediment, or parasites after bottom feeding, as well as to refill their air sacs in low oxygen and muddy conditions

• Behavior: Feed on the lagoon floor, taking in mud and detritus, which can clog their gills
• When they are often seen: While they jump year-round, they are often seen doing this more frequently during feeding or in fall when they spawn.

2) Leopard Shark-Triakis semifasciata

Although the word shark has negative connotations, leopard sharks are completely harmless and non-aggressive toward humans. They often travel in schools, which is unusual for sharks as they tend to be solidary predators. Leopard sharks can tolerate low oxygen environments, helping them survive in the warm shallow waters of the Batiquitos lagoon. 

• Where/when they can be found: They are usually found cruising just above the seafloor or resting near it. They can be seen seasonally, especially in the warmer months when they use the lagoon as a nursery and feeding ground. 
• Diet: They stay near the seafloor, eating crabs, claims, small fish, and much more. They use suction and strong jaws to pull prey out of sand or crush shells. 
• Appearance: They have silvery-bronze skin, patterned with dark ovals that stretch in a neat row across its back. The older the leopard shark is, the paler the interior of the spots. These majestic creatures serve as a mid level predator in coastal food webs which help control the population of small invertebrates and crabs. They are highly flexible coastal species that can shift between many different habitats such as shallow water, mid-water swimming, shallow nursery zones, and changes of salinity. 
  

3) Eelgrass-Zostera marina

Although This plant plays an important role in the lagoon by stabilizing sediments, storing carbon, and acting as a habitat for many diverse species. 

• Appearance: Long ribbon-like green leaves, that typically are 3-4 feet, but sometimes can grow much larger under the right conditions. They create these dense underwater “meadows” that are vital for animals. 
• Species located within Eelgrass Beds: The Bay Pipefish use the eelgrass to camouflage themselves among the blades and avoid predators. The Leopard Shark is often seen cruising around the beds because it contains necessary prey.
  

4) Green Sea Turtle-Chelonia mydas

Although rare, these beautiful creatures have been found in the Batiquitos Lagoon on multiple occasions where they come for the calm, protected waters, abundant eelgrass and algae, and warm, shallow habitat for resting and feeding. 

• Appearance: As they are among some of the largest sea turtles in the world, they can grow up to 5 feet and can weigh up to 700 pounds. They are not named for the color of their shell, which is mostly brown, but rather for the color of their emerald skin. They use their flippers as a way to glide smoothly through the waters of the lagoon and are known as excellent swimmers. 
• Globally: Green Sea Turtles are divided into different populations based on their location, called distinct population segments (DPS). Three of these populations: Central South Pacific DPS, Central West Pacific DPS, and the Mediterranean DPS, are considered endangered species. The other 8 populations, including the Pacific Coastal and pelagic zones, are legally classified as threatened. Some issues that these turtles face involve mistaking trash, such as plastic bags, as food and being fatally trapped within. In addition, Green Sea Turtles are strictly protected by law. Even with these rules, they often accidentally get caught by commercial nets, resulting in immediate death.
  

5) Bay Pipefish-Syngnathus Lepatorhynchu

The bay pipefish is a long, skinny fish related to seahorses. Like many seahorses, the males get pregnant. It blends in well with underwater plants, many people can never notice it. They do not swim like normal fish, they drift slowly through water to avoid being noticed by predators in the lagoon. They move slowly by vibrating their dorsal fins at high speeds. 

• Appearance: Long/thin body, tube shaped snout, small finds, usually green/brown/yellow to blend in with the habitat. Their bodies look almost exactly like eelgrass blades, which helps them disappear from predators. 
• Where they can be found: Although they are the master of camouflage, they are usually spotted near shallow tidal channels, eelgrass beds, and clearer water.
  

6) Great Blue Heron-Ardea herodias

The Great Blue Heron is North America’s largest heron species, with an impressive 5 ½- 6 ½ foot wingspan. Despite their impressive size, Great Blue Herons typically weigh only 5–6 pounds because their hollow bones help keep them relatively lightweight.. It is often spotted while hunting, looking completely motionless while waiting for their prey to swim by. 

• Appearance: Long neck, dagger-like bill, and bluish-gray plumage with black and white accents. They are easily identified because they fly slowly, with their neck tucked and long legs trailing behind them. 
• Diet: It mainly consumes fish, and usually waits calmly and patiently for its food to swim by. They also eat various small crustaceans, frogs, and small rodents. They are able to adapt to a variety of environments. 
• Behavior: Breeding occurs twice a year, during spring and summer, and both parents share nesting duties. 
  

7) Jack Silverside-Atherinopsis califroniensis

Jack Silversides, also known as Jacksmelt, are commonly found along the Pacific coast of North America. They can tolerate a wide range of salinity levels, allowing them to thrive in shallow coastal habitats such as lagoons, bays, and estuaries rather than deeper ocean waters. Jacksmelt often travel in large schools near the water’s surface and play an important role in the lagoons' food web. 

• Threats: Industrial waste can bring harmful chemicals into the lagoon and disrupt the population. These pollutants can mess with reproduction and eelgrass habitats. Discrepancies in Jacksmelt numbers can change the lagoon’s entire ecosystem. They are a large part of the food chain as they serve as both consumers/prey and travel in large groups. 
• Diet and Predators: Jacksmelt are planktivores that primarily feed on plankton, small crustaceans, and other tiny aquatic organisms. In turn, they provide an important food source for larger fish and fish-eating birds, including great blue herons. This makes them an important link between small organisms and the larger predators in the lagoon’s food web. 
  

8) California Halibut-Paralichtys califonricus

The California Halibut is native to the Pacific Coast of North America, it is a master of camouflage, and one of the top predators in the shallow lagoon habitats. 

• Appearance: Flat, oval-shaped body known for lying flat on the seafloor and changing color to match the sand or mud beneath it. Typically grows 1-3 feet, although some can extend 5 feet. They begin life with one eye on each side of their head. As they develop, one eye gradually moves to the opposite side, allowing the adult fish to have both eyes on the same side. Adults can have either their left or right side facing upward. As they are ambush predators, having both eyes on the upward-facing side allows them to watch for prey while remaining motionless on the sandy sediments. 
• Diet: California Halibut are predators that hunt from the seafloor. Young halibut begin by feeding on small organisms such as plankton, but as they grow, their diet shifts toward large prey such as anchovies and sardines. 
• Role in the Ecosystem: As one of the larger predators in the shallow coastal habitats, the Halibut helps regulate populations of smaller fish and other prey. Young Halibut also make use of productive lagoons, making healthy nursery habitats important to their life cycle. 
  

9) California Roundray-Urobatis halleri

The California Roundray, also called the Haller’s Roundray, is often found in the warm, shallow waters of Southern California. They have a preference for areas less than 50 feet, meaning they tend to stay in lagoons, estuaries, and other low-level habitats. It spends much of its time resting on the sand or muddy seafloors, where its flattened body and color helps it blend into its surroundings. They are famous for causing many injuries to swimmers, but they are essential for the environment at Batiquitos. 

• Appearance: The ray is almost completely round with a sturdy tail that has a venomous bar at the end. The brown top helps it camouflage within the seafloor and hide from various predators. They have small eyes and spiracles (breathing holes) on the top of their head, allowing them to see and breathe while resting on the sand. They are usually quite small, but they can grow up to 22 inches long.
• Electroreception: California Roundrays have specialized sensory organs called ampullae of Lorenzi around their head that can detect weak electrical signals produced by nearby animals. This helps the stingray locate prey beneath the sand without relying entirely on sight. 
  

10) Male Mallard Duck-Anas platyrhynchos

These are some of the most easily recognizable ducks. The Male Mallard Duck stands out with its iridescent green head, yellow bill, white neck ring, chestnut brown chest, and black tail feathers. 

• Behavior: Mallards are dabbling ducks, which means they forage by dipping their heads and front bodies into shallow water while keeping their tales above the surface. 
• Diet: These ducks are omnivores and eat mostly aquatic plants, seeds, insects, and other tiny animals that are commonly found in very shallow areas of the lagoon. 
  

11) Bat Ray-Myliobatis californica

The Bat Ray is one of the most fascinating animals that lives in the lagoon, it gets its name because of its broad fins that look like the wings of a bat when it smiles. They can be found anywhere along the pacific coast ranging from central Oregon to the Gulf of California. They prefer sandy, shallow areas with a depth of 150 feet or less. 

• Appearance: Black or dark olive diamond-shaped body with a white underbelly. They have a long whip-like tail and can grow over 6 feet. Batrays are named after their bat-like wings, which are scientifically named pectoral fins. 
• Electroreception: Much like the California Roundray, they have specialized pores called ampulle of Lorenzi that can detect weak electrical signals produced by nearby animals. As they mostly prey on animals buried within the sand, such as worms and clams, their electroreception allows them to identify the heartbeats of their prey. 
  

12) Diamond Turbot-Hypsopsetta guttulata

This large, right-eyed flatfish is well known for its rapid growth and camouflage abilities. They possess specialized cells called chromatophores, therefore their eyes can detect the surface color of the seabed and send signals to change the pigments in their skin cells. These fish usually shift between shades of grey, brown, and olive green to blend into the muddy bottoms of the Batiquitos Lagoon. In addition, the Diamond Turbot can also match the grain size. If the sand is coarse, the fish will become a blotchy pattern. If the sand is fine, the fish can become a smooth color. 

• Appearance: They have bright blue or whitish spots scattered across its dark side. These      spots mimic the “sparkle” of sunlight which hits the sandy bottom, which acts as a protection against predators such as a Great Blue Heron. The eyes are the hardest part to spot on these fish. It can also move its eyes independently, meaning that one looks forward while the other looks back. This provides a unique advantage as it can scan 360 degrees for predators without having to swim. 
• Behavior-Sand Shuffle: It uses its finds to stir up a small cloud of sediment and settles into it. This is part of its “sit and wait” tactic of finding food and hiding from dangerous animals. 
  

13) Phytoplankton

Phytoplankton are microscopic organisms that drift through the water of the Batiquitos Lagoon. Although they are tiny, they are extremely important to aquatic ecosystems because they capture energy from sunlight and turn it into food that can support all organisms throughout the food web. They can be named the “Hidden Heroes of the Lagoon” because of all they do for every species. 

• Photosynthesis: Rather than consuming other organisms, they produce their own food. These small organisms live near the water's surface, where it contains abundant access to sunlight. They use chlorophyll, a green pigment that absorbs sunlight to power the process of photosynthesis. 
• Role in the Food Chain: They are the primary producers and are the foundation of food the food web. They are consumed by Zooplankton and other small aquatic organisms, which then transfer energy to the rest of the food web. The amount of phytoplankton within the lagoon can influence the populations and amount of food available to those higher up in the food chain. 
• Fun Fact: You can thank phytoplankton for roughly every second breath you take. Land forests only produce about 28% of the world's oxygen, while phytoplankton and other marine plants produce about 50%.
  

14) California Corbina-Menticirrhus undulatus

This fish is known for its sleek, silver-like quality and are part of the croaker/drum family, They earned the nickname “ghosts of the surf” because they are so difficult to catch. 

• Appearance: They have a long/streamlined shape, silvery-gray body with darker wavy lines, and are around 1-3 feet. Much like most of the animals in the lagoon, they are bottom-feeding fish. They use the small barbel under their chin to detect food within the sand by feeling vibrations-think of it as the fish version of fingertips. 
  

15) Cordgrass-Spartina alterniflora

Cordgrass is a group of salt-tolerant grasses that grows in coastal wetlands and salt marshes. At Batiquitos Lagoon, cordgrass is part of the vegetation that helps create habitat for wildlife and withstand the lagoon's changing water conditions. 

• Appearance: Tall green glass-like blades, stiff narrow leaves, thick underground roots, cluster of seed spikes at the top. Can grow around 1-4 feet tall depending on conditions and are often found in shallow water. 
• Importance: It is so important to the ecosystem because it stabilizes mud and sediment. They have underground rhizosomes that act as a net for holding the marsh in place. Without these features, the habitats would disappear with all the mud washed away. 
• Salt Tolerance: Many plants would die in salt marsh conditions, but these plants can adapt to the environment. Some of the salt can exit through specialized tissues in the leaves. 
• Fun Fact: Cordgrass can survive being flooded twice daily by tides!
  

16) Snowy Egret-Egretta thula

The snowy egret is a graceful bird commonly seen in the coastal wetlands. Visitors of the lagoon can visit the nature center and view these birds close up through the spotting scopes. They are seen all throughout the year because of the abundant prey the lagoon offers.

• Appearance: Pure white feathers, thin black legs, bright yellow feet, long s-shaped necks. They are about 2 feet tall with a wingspan of 3 feet.
• Where they can be found: They are often seen walking through shallow water, standing motionless, or even flying low over marshes. 
  

17) Mudflats

Mudflats are one of the most important habitats in the Batiquitos Lagoon. These are flat muddy areas exposed during low tide, formed where water moves slowly and tides regularly flood and drain the area. 

• Importance: Although they may look bare, they are filled with microscopic organisms and invertebrates that form an important source of food for fish and birds. Their soft sediments also provide habitat for burrowing animals and contribute to nutrient cycling in the lagoon. By supporting organisms at the bottom of the food web, mudflats help sustain the larger ecosystem of the Batiquitos Lagoon.
  

18) Shells

• Black Warrior- Cyclinella singleyi 
• Speckled Scallop- Argopecten aequisulcatus
• Purple Olive-Olivella biplicata
• Bean Clam- Donax goudli 

These types of shells are all displayed at the nature center, you can view them and others to learn more!