Oregon Coast Aquarium Oregon Coast Aquarium Species List

[Northwest_FIsh_Keeping]

Despite only being a 5 hour drive South, it's been about a decade since I first (and last) visited the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Calling it "underrated" would be lying a bit since it's consistently ranked in the "Top 10 Aquariums in the US" poll by voters that's put on by various outlets (take that as you will), but I would still call it decently underrated by most people since it's not in a major city (the aquarium is located in Newport on the Coast, not a well-known area such as Portland that has the Oregon Zoo), and with 61,000 animals across 400 species, the aquarium is home to a handful of rarities (a few examples being 1 of 3 US Aquariums with Broadnose Sevengill Sharks, 1 of 2 US Aquariums with a Tope / School Shark, ‘Skinny’ the 49 year old Harbor Seal who is the oldest in captivity, etc). They recently wrapped up the last phase of their renovations back in November, so now was the best time to visit. There isn’t a whole lot of media on the forum about the place, nor much across the other social media platforms outside of their official accounts, but this place absolutely deserves all the attention.

Species in Green are those that are on exhibit, but not signed
Species in Red are those that are NOT on exhibit, but are signed
(my biggest gripe with the Aquarium is they don't provide any latin names for the animals, so some of the ID may be off but it should be pretty accurate with the help of iNaturalist)
*A space between each species indicates that it's a new tank / enclosure*

As of 19/1/25 |

Outdoor Streams: No Live Animals (the aquarium has various Freshwater streams on the outside and inside, none of these have any live animals to my knowledge and from what I saw)

'Cafe Moon Jelly Tank' | technically the first exhibit you come across; this is a cylindrical Moon Jelly tank that sits just outside of the Aquarium's cafe area

• Greater* Moon Jellies | (Aurelia labiata*) (Assuming they're locally collected which I believe they are, they should be. A labiata, but I put the asterisk in case)

Sandy Coast | The first major exhibit, all four buildings (Sandy Coast, Rocky Coast, Connected Coast, Jellies Gallery) are connected to one another, with Sandy Coast being the first to enter. This area displays animals that are found in Sand Flats and other areas made up of lots of sand and sediment.

• Graceful Kelp Crab | (Pugettia gracilis)
• Pacific Staghorn Sculpin | (Leptocottus armatus)
• Aggregating Anemones | (Anthopleura elegantissima)
• Striped Sun Star | (Solaster stimpsoni)
• Rough Keyhole Limpits | (Diodora aspera)
• Vermilion Sea Stars | (Mediaster aequalis)
• California Spot Prawns | (Pandalus platyceros)
• Mossy Chitons | (Mopalia muscosa)

• Silver Surfperches | (Hyperprosopon ellipticum)
• Striped Surfperches | (Embiotoca lateralis)
• Pile Surfperches | (Phanerodon vacca)
• Shiner Surfperches | (Cymatogaster aggregata)
• Black Rockfishes | (Sebastes melanops)
• Pacific Tomcod | (Microgadus proximus)
• Giant Plumose Anemones | (Metridium farcimen)
• Green Sea Urchins | (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis)
• Pink Sea Stars | (Pisaster brevispinus)
• Dungeness Crab | (Metacarcinus magister)
• White-spotted Rose Anemones | (Cribrinopsis albopunctata)

• Splitnose Rockfishes | (Sebastes diploproa)
• Orange Sea Pens | (Ptilosarcus gurneyi)
• Tube-dwelling Anemones | (Pachycerianthus fimbriatus)

• Starry Flounder | (Platichthys stellatus)
• C-O Soles | (Pleuronichthys coenosus)
• English Soles | (Parophrys vetulus)

• Northern Anchovies | (Engraulis mordax)
• California Halibut | (Paralichthys californicus)
• Pacific Sand Sole | (Psettichthys melanostictus)
• Leather Sea Stars | (Dermasterias imbricata)

• Bay Pipefishes | (Syngnathus californiensis)
• Tubesnouts | (Aulorhynchus flavidus)
• Three-spined Sticklebacks | (Aulorhynchus flavidus)
• Sitka Shrimps | (Heptacarpus sitchensis)
  
• Coonstripe Shrimps | (Pandalus hypsinotus)

• Copper Rockfishes | (Sebastes caurinus)
• Pacific Hairy Hermit Crab | (Pagurus hirsutiusculus)

• Penpoint Gunnels | (Apodichthys flavidus)
• Saddleback Gunnels | (Pholis ornata)
• High Cockscomb | (Anoplarchus purpurescens)

• Eccentric Sand Dollars | (Dendraster excentricus)
• Buffalo Sculpin | (Enophrys bison)

• Spiny Pink Scallops | (Chlamys hastata)
• California Mussels | (Mytilus californianus)

• Sailfin Sculpin | (Nautichthys oculofasciatus)
• Northern Clingfish | (Gobiesox maeandricus)
• Common Blue Mussels | (Mytilus edulis)

• Silverspotted Sculpin | (Blepsias cirrhosus)
• Tubenose Poacher | (Pallasina barbata)
• Lewis's Moon Snail | (Neverita lewisii)

Rocky Coast | The second building in this area, this exhibit showcases various animals that are found on the Rocky Coasts from Washington to Northern California

• Giant Pacific Octopus | (Enteroctopus dofleini)
• False Ochre Sea Stars | (Evasterias troschelii)
• Ochre Sea Stars | (Pisaster ochraceus)
• Bat Sea Stars | (Patiria miniata)
• Painted Anemones | (Urticina crassicornis)
• White-spotted Rose Anemones | (Cribrinopsis albopunctata)

• Ochre Sea Stars | (Pisaster ochraceus)
• Leather Sea Stars | (Dermasterias imbricata)
• Bat Sea Stars | (Patiria miniata)
• Giant Green Anemones | (Anthopleura xanthogrammica)
• Purple Sea Urchins | (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus)
• California Sea Cucumbers | (Apostichopus californicus)
• Gumboot Chitons | (Cryptochiton stelleri)
• Red Abalones | (Haliotis rufescens)
• Strawberry Anemones | (Corynactis californica)
• Stalked Tunicate | (Styela montereyensis)

• Widow Rockfishes | (Sebastes entomelas)
• Rock Greenling | (Hexagrammos lagocephalus)
• Kelp Greenling | (Hexagrammos decagrammus)
• Bocaccio Rockfish | (Sebastes paucispinis)
• Whitespotted Greenling | (Hexagrammos stelleri)
• Rough Keyhole Limpit | (Diodora aspera)
• Giant Green Anemones | (Anthopleura xanthogrammica)
• Purple Sea Urchins | (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus)

• Red Irish Lords | Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus
• Cabezons | Scorpaenichthys marmoratus
• China Rockfish | Sebastes nebulosus
• Rosy Rockfish | Sebastes rosaceus
• Quillback Rockfish | Sebastes maliger
• Fish-eating Anemones | Urticina piscivora

• Giant Spined Sea Stars | (Pisaster giganteus)
• Bat Sea Stars | (Patiria miniata)
• Ochre Sea Stars | (Pisaster ochraceus)
• Gumboot Chitons | (Cryptochiton stelleri)
• Pacific Rock Crab | (Romaleon antennarium)
• Kelp Crab | (Pugettia producta)
• Aggregating Anemones | (Anthopleura elegantissima)

• Sunflower Sea Stars | (Pycnopodia helianthoides)

• Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers | (Eumicrotremus orbis)
• Grunt Sculpins | (Rhamphocottus richardsonii)
• Purple Hydrocorals | (Stylantheca papillosa)
• Sea Raspberries (coral) | (Gersemia rubiformis)

• Heart Crab | (Phyllolithodes papillosus)
• Giant Acorn Barnacles | (Balanus nubilus)
• Puget Sound King Crab (juvenile) | (Echidnocerus cibarius)

• Spiny Lithode Crab | (Acantholithodes hispidus)

• Strawberry Anemones | (Corynactis californica)
• Veiled Chitons | (Placiphorella velata)
• Six-rayed Sea Star | (Leptasterias hexactis)

• Monkeyface Pricklebacks | (Cebidichthys violaceus)
• Stalked Tunicates | (Styela montereyensis)
• Rough Puff Sponges | Phylum: Porifera
• Tennis Ball Sponges | Phylum: Porifera

• Hairy Triton Snails | (most likely Fusitriton oregonensis)
• Rock Scallops | (Crassadoma gigantea)
• California Sea Cucumber | (Apostichopus californicus)
• Giant Green Anemones | (Anthopleura xanthogrammica)

• Northern Clingfishes | (Gobiesox maeandricus)
• Sharp-nosed Crab | (Scyra acutifrons)
• California Sea Cucumber | (Apostichopus californicus)
• Giant Plumose Anemones | (Metridium farcimen)

Connected Coasts | The third building, this houses the Aquarium's tropical species, mainly from the Indo-Pacific. Along with a Kelp Forest Tank that houses species from California and Oregon. This was the last part of the renovation to finish up and they really went all out with it.

• Honeycomb Morays | (Gymnothorax favagineus)
• Zebra Morays | (Gymnomuraena zebra)
• Undulated Morays | (Gymnothorax undulatus)

• Snowflake Moray | (Echidna nebulosa)
• Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfishes | (Dendrochirus brachypterus)

• Pajama Cardinalfish | (Sphaeramia nematoptera)
• Yellow Watchman Goby | (Cryptocentrus cinctus)
• Neon Goby | (Elacatinus genie)
• Scopas Tangs | (Zebrasoma scopas)
• Maxima Clams | (Tridanca maxima)
• various coral species such as Green Star Polyps, Hammers, Cespitularia, Xenia, etc

• Pot-bellied Seahorses | (Hippocampus abdominalis)

• Garibaldi | (Hypsypops rubicundus)
• Flag Rockfish | (Sebastes rubrivinctus)
• Seniorita Wrasses | (Oxyjulis californica)
• Halfmoons | (Medialuna californiensis)
• California Moray | (Gymnothorax mordax)
• California Spiny Lobster | (Panulirus interruptus)
• Barred Knifejaw | (Oplegnathus fasciatus)
• (There was another large, dark colored fish in the exhibit that I couldn't find an ID for)

• Blue Spotted Mask Ray | (Taeniura lymma)
• Blue Spotted Ribbontail Ray | (Neotrygon kuhlii)
• Gem Tang | (Zebrasoma gemmatum)
• Silver Monos | (Monodactylus argenteus)
• Banggai Cardinalfishes | (Pterapogon kauderni)
• Engineer Goby | (Pholidichthys leucotaenia)
• Goldspotted Rabbitfish | (Siganus punctatus)
• Naso Tangs | (Naso lituratus)
• Pink Speckled Shrimp Goby | (Cryptocentrus leptocephalus)
• Red Mangrove Trees (the big ones are fake, but there are some real trees in the back) | (Rhizophora mangle)

• McCosker's Flasher Wrasses | (Paracheilinus mccoskeri)
• Melanurus Wrasses | (Halichoeres melanurus)
• Dispar Anthias (males and females) | Pseudanthias dispar
• Longnose Hawkfish | (Oxycirrhites typus)
• Sixline Wrasse | (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia)
• Royal Gramma | (Gramma loreto)
• Scopas Tangs | (Zebrasoma scopas)
• Ocellaris Clownfish ('snowflake' morph) | (Amphiprion ocellaris)
• various corals such as Acropora, Torches, Hammers, Leathers, Montipora, Duncans, Goniopora, etc)

• Yellow Tangs | (Zebrasoma flavescens)
• Sailfin Tangs | (Zebrasoma veliferum)
• Vlamingi Tang | (Naso vlamingi)
• Naso Tangs | (Naso litratus)
• Purple Tangs | (Zebrasoma xanthurum)
• Blue Hippo Tangs | (Paracanthurus hepatus)
• Tomini Tangs | (Ctenochaetus tominiensis)
• Gold Rim Tangs | (Acanthurus japonicus)
• Orange Shoulder Tang | (Acanthurus olivaceus)
• Clown Tang | (Acanthurus lineatus)
• Emperor Angelfish | (Pomacanthus imperator)
• Maculosus Angelfish | (Pomacanthus maculosus)
• Coral Beauty Angelfish | (Centropyge bispinosa)
• Keyhole Angelfish | (Centropyge tibicen)
• Bellus Angelfishes (males and females) | (Genicanthus bellus)
• Pyramid Butterflyfishes | (Hemitaurichthys polylepis)
• Lemon Butterflyfishes | (Chaetodon miliaris)
• Three Stripe Damselfishes | (Dascyllus aruanus)
• Blue-Green Chromis | (Chromis viridis)
• Wedgetail Triggerfish | (Rhinecanthus rectangulus)
• Blue Streak Cleaner Wrasses | (Labroides dimidiatus)
• Quoy's Parrotfish | (Scarus quoyi)
• Harlequin Tusk | (Choerodon fasciatus)
• Yellow Blotch Rabbitfish | (Siganus guttatus)
• Dispar Anthias (males and females) | (Pseudanthias dispar)
• Lyretail Anthias (males and females) | (Pseudanthias squamipinnis)
• Ocellaris Clownfishes | Amphiprion ocellaris
• Coral Grouper | (Cephalopholis miniata)

Jellies Gallery | The other last bit of the renovation, this isn't a new building, rather a room that's towards the exit of the 'Connected Coasts' building. This space has four tanks, including 1 of 3 Moon Jelly Globes in the country (though they are becoming more popular, so we'll definitely see more being built soon).

• Pacific Sea Nettles | (Chrysaora fuscescens)

• Blubber Jellies (white variety) | (Catostylus mosaicus)

• Blubber Jellies (blue variety) | (Catostylus mosaicus)

• Greater Moon Jellies | (Aurelia labiata)

Passages of the Deep | The main attraction of the aquarium, this exhibit is separated into 3 distinct tunnels that each mimic a different ecosystem found off the coast.

'Orford Reef' mimics a coastal Rocky Reef that's more inshore, featuring lot's of rockfish and surprisingly two California species (the Kelp Bass and Opaleyes).

• Wolf Eels | (Anarrhichthys ocellatus)
• Opaleye Perch | (Girella nigricans)
• Striped Surfperch | (Embiotoca lateralis)
• Kelp Greenling | (Hexagrammos decagrammus)
• Kelp Bass | (Paralabrax clathratus)
• Quillback Rockfishes | (Sebastes maliger)
• Tiger Rockfishes | (Sebastes nigrocinctus)
• Blue Rockfishes | (Sebastes mystinus)
• Canary Rockfishes | (Sebastes pinniger)
• Black Rockfishes | (Sebastes melanops)
• Vermilion Rockfishes | (Sebastes miniatus)
• Black and Yellow Rockfishes | (Sebastes chrysomelas)
• Yellowtail Rockfishes | (Sebastes flavidus)
• China Rockfishes | (Sebastes nebulosus)
• Bull Kelp | (Nereocystis luetkeana)
• Ochre Sea Stars | (Pisaster ochraceus)
• Bat Sea Stars | (Patiria miniata)
• Leather Sea Stars | (Dermasterias imbricata)
• Strawberry Anemones | (Corynactis californica)
• Giant Green Anemones | (Anthopleura xanthogrammica)
• Giant Plumose Anemones | (Metridium farcimen)
• Fish-eating Anemones | (Urticina piscivora)
• White-spotted Anemones | (Cribrinopsis albopunctata)

'Halibut Flats' mimics Oregon's continental shelf where most of the substrate is made up of sand, mud, and sediment. Just like it's name, this exhibit is home to the massive Pacific Halibut and Sturgeon, Skates, etc

• White Sturgeon | (Acipenser transmontanus)
• Green Sturgeons | (Acipenser medirostris) (OCA is the only other aquarium besides us at Seattle to display the species to my knowledge)
• Big Skates | (Beringraja binoculata)
• Pacific Halibuts | (Hippoglossus stenolepis)
• Starry Flounders | (Platichthys stellatus)
• Cabezon | (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus)
• Lingcod | (Ophiodon elongatus)
• Ocean Whitefish | (Caulolatilus princeps)
• Sablefish | (Anoplopoma fimbria)
• Yelloweye Rockfishes | (Sebastes ruberrimus)
• Tiger Rockfishes | (Sebastes nigrocinctus)
• Blue Rockfishes | (Sebastes mystinus)
• Canary Rockfishes | (Sebastes pinniger)
• Black Rockfishes | (Sebastes melanops)
• Vermilion Rockfishes | (Sebastes miniatus)
• China Rockfishes | (Sebastes nebulosus)
• Gopher Rockfishes | (Sebastes carnatus)
• Yellowtail Rockfishes | (Sebastes flavidus)
• Copper Rockfishes | (Sebastes caurinus)
• Bocaccio Rockfishes | (Sebastes paucispinis)
• Giant Acorn Barnacles | (Balanus nubilus)
• Giant Plumose Anemones | (Metridium farcimen)

'The Open Sea' is the Aquarium's flagship exhibit that mimics the Open Sea off of the coast. Housing all of the Sharks, including some true rarities such as the Tope Shark. Along with Bat Rays, large schools of Fish, and the largest group of Leopard Sharks in an Aquarium I've ever seen

• Broadnose Sevengill Sharks | (Notorynchus cepedianus) (OCA is 1 of 3 aquariums in the US to exhibit the species. The other 2 being Monterey Bay and Aquarium of the Bay)
• Tope / School Sharks | (Galeorhinus galeus) (OCA is 1 of 2 aquariums in the US to exhibit the species. The other being the Aquarium of the Bay, this critically endangered species is a true rarity. OCA has 2 individuals (possibly a third but I couldn't get a good look at the third one to tell for sure)
• Leopard Sharks | (Triakis semifasciata) (I counted around 12 to 13 of them, which is the most I've ever seen in an exhibit. I wouldn't be surprised if there were 15 to 20 in here)
• Pacific Spiny Dogfish Sharks | (Squalus suckleyi)
• Bat Rays | (Myliobatis californica) (Home to what seems like a breeding population since there were a ton of juveniles and babies in here)
• Yellowtail Amberjacks | (Seriola lalandi)
• Pacific Mackerel | (Trachurus symmetricus)
• Pacific Sardines | (Sardinops sagax)
• Northern Anchovies | (Engraulis mordax)

Seabird Aviary | The best Seabird Aviary I've personally seen, both in terms of size and collection. There's plenty of room for the birds to fly, tons of nesting space, two separate water features on each side, it's outdoors, and more. This used to be home to the only breeding pair of Black Oystercatcher's in captivity, however one of the birds was either moved or passed away since then as there's only one now.

• Tufted Puffins | (Fratercula cirrhata)
• Horned Puffins | (Fratercula corniculata)
• Common Murres | (Uria aalge)
• Pigeon Guillemots (Cepphus columba)
• Rhinoceros Auklets | (Cerorhinca monocerata) (OCA is 1 of 3 places globally to exhibit the species. The other 2 being Seattle Aquarium and Alaska Sealife Center, Aquarium of the Pacific apparently have a few behind the scenes but they're not out on public view)
• Black Oystercatcher | (Haematopus bachmani)

Turkey Vultures | Not the usual bird species you'd expect to find at an aquarium, this is a rescued sibling pair that the aquarium took in back in 2009. The species is found throughout Oregon, so it allows the aquarium to educate about scavengers. (I'm not 100% sure but given their rescue and size of the exhibit, I assume they're unable to fly)

• Turkey Vultures | (Cathartes aura)

Southern Sea Otters | An outdoor exhibit home to the Aquarium's three rescued Southern Sea Otters. They help educate guests about the history of how Sea Otters were wiped entirely out of Oregon.

• Southern Sea Otters | (Enhydra lutris nereis)

Pinnipeds | An outdoor exhibit home to the Aquarium's Harbor Seals and California Sea Lions. According to the site there are 4 Harbor Seals and 2 Sea Lions. This includes 'Skinny', who is currently THE OLDEST living Harbor Seal in captivity at 49 years old. She still looks very lively, so I'm optimistic in saying she has a high chance of living to 51, which would then make her the oldest in recorded history (current record is 50). The Aquarium also says she's aging surprisingly well for her age, so we'll see in two years hopefully.

• Harbor Seals | (Phoca vitulina)
• California Sea Lions | (Zalophus californianus)

And that wraps up my species list for the Oregon Coast Aquarium. A truly incredible place, while not very big, has some true rarities that any aquarium enthusiast would enjoy. I wish it was a little closer to the Oregon Zoo (just because of the drive) but it's in the perfect place in my opinion. As mentioned, the aquarium doesn't label any of the latin names for the fish so some of the ID could be potentially wrong (it was also incredibly busy today so the galleries got crowded fast) but I'm confident 95% is accurate.

 

[Local_Shark]

Excellent work on this list! I really need to get up to OCA, it’s just tough for me given its location versus all the big cities in the state with airports to fly into. I had no idea they had any tropical elasmos at all, so it’s really cool to see that they have a couple ray species of that type. Thanks for posting!

 

[Northwest_FIsh_Keeping]

Excellent work on this list! I really need to get up to OCA, it’s just tough for me given its location versus all the big cities in the state with airports to fly into. I had no idea they had any tropical elasmos at all, so it’s really cool to see that they have a couple ray species of that type. Thanks for posting!

Of course! I get that, even from Seattle I split up the drive into 2 days because Newport is still an hour and half from Salem which is sorta the last major city before it all turns into country side land. The roads getting there and out of there were definitely not helpful since most of the time, it was just me on the road lol
I wouldn't be surprised in the future is they manage to bring in an Epaulette Shark or Cat shark species for that tank, it's decently big but I also wasn't expecting the rays. Now that I've visited the other 3 major aquariums in the PNW (PDZA, OCA, Vancouver), I might compile a list of the various elasmobranchs that you can find in the region at each aquarium since they're all in a somewhat driveable distance from each other (except OCA, that ones tougher of course) but it might be repetitive since there's already a couple Elasmo collection threads on the site. We'll see

 

[Local_Shark]

Now that I've visited the other 3 major aquariums in the PNW (PDZA, OCA, Vancouver), I might compile a list of the various elasmobranchs that you can find in the region at each aquarium since they're all in a somewhat driveable distance from each other (except OCA, that ones tougher of course) but it might be repetitive since there's already a couple Elasmo collection threads on the site. We'll see

If you're worried about an open thread of that being repetitive, my DMs are open haha. I certainly would be extremely interested even if I'm the only one, I've only been to 1/3 of those and it was 11 years ago.

 

[Northwest_FIsh_Keeping]

(There was another large, dark colored fish in the exhibit that I couldn't find an ID for)

Very minimal but thanks to some scouting, this is a Black Surfperch (Embiotica jacksoni), that should be the last of the species that needed ID

 

[DavidBrown]

Thanks for the species list and review. I visited this aquarium in 1994 and the basic structure of it seems the same. The major addition is the Passages of the Deep complex which was originally an orca complex for Keiko. I don't recall there being tropical species at that point, so those are post 1994 also.