Coral lina 



chilensis, 



Lithothrix 



aspergil lum (articulated coral lines) , 

 Chondria nidifica , Cryptopleura violacea , 

 and the brown, Zonaria farlowii" (Figure 

 10). These plants commonly grow over a 

 turf of Pterosiphonia dendroidea and other 

 small red algae; all are frequently 

 covered by sand, and the vegetation is 

 best developed on slightly elevated rocks. 



Pterygophora californica is the most 

 common understory alga within the giant 

 kelp forest, growing in dense stands 

 separated by extensive sandy areas. 

 Fleshy red algae (primarily Callophyllis 

 spp. , Cryptopleura violacea and 

 Stenogramme interrupta ) are sparse on 

 exposed rocks and on the tubes of the 

 polychaete Diopatr a ornata . Much of the 

 hard bottom is bare or occupied by 

 rock-boring pholad clams. The whelk 

 Kelletia kelletii and sea stars ( Pisaster 



spp. 



" Patiria ' miniata , Dermasterias 

 imbricata ) are common, and red and purple 

 sea urchins are abundant on isolated rock 

 outcrops. 



Extensive areas of deep sand occur 

 along the seaward border of the forest. 

 Fishes have not been surveyed. 



3.3.2.2 Anacapa Island . In contrast 

 to the mainland, waters around the Channel 

 Islands are generally clearer, high-relief 

 rock is more common and, as discussed by 

 Murray et al. (1980), there is greater 

 spatial variability in temperature. The 

 first two conditions are particularly 

 favorable to the growth of giant kelp and 

 other rocky subtidal organisms. Qualita- 

 tive comparisons indicate that the diver- 

 sity of kelp-forest organisms is high on 

 the islands relative to the mainland. 

 Ebeling et al. (1980a) suggested that the 

 continuity of wel 1 -developed rocky reefs, 

 clearer water, and the high density of 

 algal and invertebrate turf (an important 

 source of fish food) on the islands also 

 contribute to increased density, biomass, 

 and diversity of fish there versus the 

 mainland. The discussion below is based 

 on Neushul et al. (1967) and Clarke and 

 Neushul (1967), who surveyed a 700-m long 

 mixed sand-rock transect through a giant 

 kelp forest at Anacapa Island (Figure 8) 

 from to 40-m depth (Figure 10). 



These investigators recognized three 

 broad zones along the transect. The first 



was a shallow zone from to 8 m with 

 abundant understory kelps ( Eisenia 

 arborea , Laminaria farlowii ) , surfgrass 

 ( Phyl lospadix torreyJTJ and sea anemones 

 ( Anthopleura xanthogrammica ) . Below this 

 was a wide, mid-depth zone (8-34 m) of 

 Macrocystis pyrifera growing over the 

 understory kelps Agarum fimbriatum and 

 Pterygophora californica . Common animals 

 here included " sea urchins 

 ( Strongyl ocentrotus franciscanus , S^. 

 purpuratus , Lytechinus anamesus ), and bat 

 stars ( Patiria miniata ). Macrocystis did 

 not occur below 34 m; the final zone in 

 deeper water was inhabited by A. 

 fimbriatum and a variety of small red 

 algae. Fishes were not surveyed, but off 

 Santa Cruz Island to the west, such 

 species as the senorita, kelp perch, giant 

 kelpfish, blacksmith, and blue rockfish 

 were common in midwater, while the 

 California sheephead, opaleye, halfmoon, 

 kelp bass, kelp rockfish, and various 

 surf perches were common, both in midwater 

 and on the bottom. Various rockfishes and 

 gobies are common on the bottom (Ebeling 

 et al. 1980a). 



3.3.2.3 



Santa Catalina Island. 



The 



relatively warm waters of the kelp forests 

 at Santa Catalina Island (Figure 8), like 

 Del Mar and Point Loma below, contain 

 species not found in the more northern 

 areas described above. Among the more 

 conspicuous of these are elk kelp 

 Pelagophycus porra , the sea urchin 

 Centrostephanus coronatus , and the 

 blue-banded goby Lythrypnus dal 1 i . 

 Dykzeul and Given (1979) reviewed the 

 various marine and terrestrial habitats 

 around the western end of Santa Catalina 

 Island; the information below is 

 summarized from their discussion of 

 subtidal boulder habitats near Big 

 Fisherman's Cove and from our personal 

 observations. 



The shallow subtidal zone east of Big 

 Fisherman's Cove (Figure 10) is composed 

 of metamorphic (schist) boulders of 

 varying size that terminate in a sand 

 plain at around 35 m. At depths of 0-8 m, 

 the bottom is dominated by the understory 

 kelp Eisenia arborea . The brown algae 

 Cystoseira neglecta , Dictyota 

 flabellulata , and Pachydictyon coriaceum 

 are common on the bottom, as are the reds 

 Lithothrix aspergillum , Plocamium sp. , and 



29 



