Get to know some of the more than 1,000 species on exhibit—or behind the scenes—at the California Academy of Sciences' Steinhart Aquarium.

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© Pelican
Spotted Garden Eel

Spotted garden eels spend the majority of their lives partially embedded in the sea floor.

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Phyllorhiza punctata;Photo: orestART [CC BY-SA 2.0]
White-Spotted Jellyfish

The highly adaptable jellyfish takes advantage of seafaring vessels to spread far beyond its native habitat.

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Pseudanthias fasciatus

Photo by Tim Wong

One-Striped Anthias
Living deep in the "twilight zone," this fish is often found swimming upside-down near cave roofs and overhangs.
Gouldian finch; Photo © California Academy of Sciences
Gouldian Finch

Gouldian finches are polymorphic, with three possible head color variations—black, yellow, or red.

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Larger Pacific Striped Octopus
Larger Pacific Striped Octopus

The larger Pacific striped octopus defies conventional octopus behavior in several surprising ways.

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Pacific spiny lumpsuckers
Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker

Pacific spiny lumpsuckers have tiny fins and no swim bladder, yet are able to travel as deep as 480 feet.

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African penguin, Spheniscus demersus
African Penguin

African penguins establish strong pair bonds and use complex forms of communication in their social groups.

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Oustalet's Chameleon, Furcifer oustaleti By Charlesjsharp (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.

© Charles J Sharp

Oustalet's Chameleon

The Oustalet’s chameleon has a spring-loaded tongue, a third eye, and is the second-largest chameleon on Earth.

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Blue-necked tanager, Tangara cyanicollis
Blue-Necked Tanager

Beautiful and social, these birds are even known to feed chicks belonging to other members of their flock.

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Leafy Seadragon
Leafy Seadragon

You’ll need sharp eyes to spot the leafy seadragon in the wild—it's virtually indistinguishable from kelp.

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Chambered Nautilus, Nautilus pompilius
Chambered Nautilus

The chambered nautilus is a living feat of engineering: It literally builds itself a home as it grows.

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Golden Mantella
Golden Mantella

These tiny orange frogs secrete highly toxic chemicals for defense—toxins they amass by eating poisonous ants.

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Peacock Mantis Shrimp
Peacock Mantis Shrimp

This impressive shrimp packs a 50-mph punch that can inflict up to 160 pounds of instantaneous force.

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Mandarin Dragonet, Synchiropus splendidus
Mandarin Dragonet

The mandarin dragonet has a thick coating of slime instead of scales, making it unappealing to predators.

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Grainy Cochran Frog
Grainy Cochran Frog

Grainy cochran frogs, known as "glass frogs," have translucent bellies that reveal bones and organs.

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Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray, Taeniura lymma
Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray

Bluespotted ribbontail rays boast beautiful, iridescent spots and a long tail armed with venomous spines.