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A bull elephant seal forceably mates (copulates) with a much smaller female, often biting her into submission and using his weight to keep her from fleeing. Males may up to 5000 lbs, triple the size of females. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California.
Image ID: 20388
Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris
Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | A bull elephant seal forceably mates (copulates) with a much smaller female, often biting her into submission and using his weight to keep her from fleeing. Males may up to 5000 lbs, triple the size of females. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California.
Image ID: 15408
Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris
Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | California golden gorgonian and small juvenile sheephead fishes on rocky reef, below kelp forest, underwater. The golden gorgonian is a filter-feeding temperate colonial species that lives on the rocky bottom at depths between 50 to 200 feet deep. Each individual polyp is a distinct animal, together they secrete calcium that forms the structure of the colony. Gorgonians are oriented at right angles to prevailing water currents to capture plankton drifting by.
Image ID: 23421
Species: California golden gorgonian, Muricea californica, Semicossyphus pulcher
Location: San Clemente Island, California, USA |
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Mexican hogfish, adult male showing fleshy bump on head, Revilligigedos.
Image ID: 05768
Species: Mexican hogfish, Bodianus diplotaenia | Mexican hogfish, adult male showing fleshy bump on head.
Image ID: 09606
Species: Mexican hogfish, Bodianus diplotaenia
Location: Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico | Mexican hogfish, adult male showing fleshy bump on head.
Image ID: 09609
Species: Mexican hogfish, Bodianus diplotaenia
Location: Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico |
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Mexican hogfish, adult male showing fleshy bump on head.
Image ID: 09618
Species: Mexican hogfish, Bodianus diplotaenia
Location: Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico | Elephant seals in the surf, showing extreme dimorphism, males (5000 lb) are triple the size of females (1700 lb). Central California.
Image ID: 15497
Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris
Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | Sheephead and golden gorgonian, underwater in a kelp forest.
Image ID: 23528
Species: California golden gorgonian, Muricea californica, Semicossyphus pulcher
Location: San Clemente Island, California, USA |
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Gorgonians grow on rocky reef, kelp forest and a white boat floating on the surface can be seen in the background, underwater.
Image ID: 23537
Species: California golden gorgonian, Muricea californica, Semicossyphus pulcher
Location: San Clemente Island, California, USA | Mexican hogfish, female coloration, Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico.
Image ID: 27499
Species: Mexican hogfish, Bodianus diplotaenia
Location: Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico | A bull elephant seal forceably mates (copulates) with a much smaller female, often biting her into submission and using his weight to keep her from fleeing. Males may up to 5000 lbs, triple the size of females. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California.
Image ID: 15411
Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris
Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA |
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A bull elephant seal forceably mates (copulates) with a much smaller female, often biting her into submission and using his weight to keep her from fleeing. Males may up to 5000 lbs, triple the size of females. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California.
Image ID: 15447
Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris
Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | Sheephead and golden gorgonian, underwater in a kelp forest.
Image ID: 23586
Species: California golden gorgonian, Muricea californica, Semicossyphus pulcher
Location: San Clemente Island, California, USA | Square-spot fairy basslet, male coloration.
Image ID: 12862
Species: Square-spot fairy basslet, Pseudanthias pleurotaenia |
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Square-spot fairy basslet, male coloration.
Image ID: 12863
Species: Square-spot fairy basslet, Pseudanthias pleurotaenia | Square-spot fairy basslet, male coloration.
Image ID: 12864
Species: Square-spot fairy basslet, Pseudanthias pleurotaenia | Square-spot fairy basslet, male coloration.
Image ID: 12865
Species: Square-spot fairy basslet, Pseudanthias pleurotaenia |
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Elephant seals in the surf, showing extreme dimorphism, males (5000 lb) are triple the size of females (1700 lb). Central California.
Image ID: 15404
Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris
Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | A bull elephant seal forceably mates (copulates) with a much smaller female, often biting her into submission and using his weight to keep her from fleeing. Males may up to 5000 lbs, triple the size of females. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California.
Image ID: 15446
Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris
Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | A bull elephant seal forceably mates (copulates) with a much smaller female, often biting her into submission and using his weight to keep her from fleeing. Males may up to 5000 lbs, triple the size of females. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California.
Image ID: 20389
Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris
Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA |
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A bull elephant seal approaches a female before forceably mating (copulating) with her, in spite of nearly smashing the female's pup in the process.
Image ID: 20390
Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris
Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | A bull elephant seal eyes a female before forceably mating (copulating) with her.
Image ID: 20417
Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris
Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA | A bull elephant seal forceably mates (copulates) with a much smaller female, often biting her into submission and using his weight to keep her from fleeing. Males may up to 5000 lbs, triple the size of females. Sandy beach rookery, winter, Central California.
Image ID: 20428
Species: Elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris
Location: Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, California, USA |
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California sheephead, adult male.
Image ID: 01936
Species: California sheephead wrasse, Semicossyphus pulcher
Location: San Clemente Island, California, USA | Adult male Guadalupe fur seal with females and pups.
Image ID: 03743
Species: Guadalupe fur seal, Arctocephalus townsendi
Location: Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico | Cortez chubb including golden phase.
Image ID: 06179
Species: Cortez chubb, Kyphosus elegans
Location: Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico |
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Mexican hogfish, adult male showing fleshy bump on head, Revilligigedos.
Image ID: 05769
Species: Mexican hogfish, Bodianus diplotaenia | Cortez chubb showing golden phase mating male.
Image ID: 06852
Species: Cortez chubb, Kyphosus elegans
Location: Guadalupe Island (Isla Guadalupe), Baja California, Mexico | California sheephead, adult male.
Image ID: 07072
Species: California sheephead wrasse, Semicossyphus pulcher
Location: San Clemente Island, California, USA |
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