Spotted garden eels spend the majority of their lives partially embedded in the sea floor.
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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![Phyllorhiza punctata;Photo: orestART [CC BY-SA 2.0]](https://research.calacademy.org/sites/default/files/styles/manual_crop_square_460px/public/assets/images/explorescience/phyllorhiza_punctata_iv_macro.jpg?itok=SIsjQteq&c=97ae12eb8bff7c6106ee26c9103cc9b2)
The highly adaptable jellyfish takes advantage of seafaring vessels to spread far beyond its native habitat.
Living deep in the "twilight zone," this fish is often found swimming upside-down near cave roofs and overhangs.
Gouldian finches are polymorphic, with three possible head color variations—black, yellow, or red.
The larger Pacific striped octopus defies conventional octopus behavior in several surprising ways.
Pacific spiny lumpsuckers have tiny fins and no swim bladder, yet are able to travel as deep as 480 feet.
African penguins establish strong pair bonds and use complex forms of communication in their social groups.
The Oustalet’s chameleon has a spring-loaded tongue, a third eye, and is the second-largest chameleon on Earth.
Beautiful and social, these birds are even known to feed chicks belonging to other members of their flock.
You’ll need sharp eyes to spot the leafy seadragon in the wild—it's virtually indistinguishable from kelp.
The chambered nautilus is a living feat of engineering: It literally builds itself a home as it grows.
These tiny orange frogs secrete highly toxic chemicals for defense—toxins they amass by eating poisonous ants.
This impressive shrimp packs a 50-mph punch that can inflict up to 160 pounds of instantaneous force.
The mandarin dragonet has a thick coating of slime instead of scales, making it unappealing to predators.
Grainy cochran frogs, known as "glass frogs," have translucent bellies that reveal bones and organs.
Bluespotted ribbontail rays boast beautiful, iridescent spots and a long tail armed with venomous spines.