Northwest_FIsh_Keeping
Well-Known Member
Where there's a Legoland, there is almost guaranteed to be a Sealife right next door. Sealife Carlsbad (aka Sealife California) is right next to Legoland California in the Carlsbad / San Diego area. I've only been to both places once before when I was very young, so since I had time on this trip, I decided to make a quick stop by. Honestly, it's not a terrible aquarium at all, but it is very small. Some might find it a little cheesy with all the Lego theming in the tanks and interior of the building, but most of the exhibits are up to standard, and their Elasmobranch collection is actually really good.
I'm also including Legoland California's Submarine ride on this list, since both entities are owned by the same company, and since it's a stand-alone ride, it doesn't really deserve its own thread. However, when it opened, a lot of animals from Sealife were moved over for the ride, including the only White-spotted Wedgefish on the West Coast (another notable reason why I'm including the exhibit).
You are allowed to visit Sealife separately from Legoland, however, since Sealife is inside the Legoland campus, you do have to pay for the parking, which is $35.. (That was a "nice" surprise). Honestly, with how small it is, I wouldn't visit it solely for SEA LIFE since a ticket + parking comes out to $55, which you can save $20 and just go to the Birch Aquarium instead which is far, far, better.
But if you want to visit Legoland too, they do have a deal which includes tickets for both. Honestly, the ride isn't bad at all, and they do provide some signage at times when the ride stalls for people to view the animals, but because it's always moving, so you're not guaranteed to see all of the fish. Thankfully, it is free, so you can go as many times as you'd like. I will start with SEA LIFE first, then move onto the Legoland ride.
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As of 26/6/25 |
'California Watershed' (4,201 gallons total system volume, since it's divided into 2 tanks)
"Ranger Station" (Basically like a children’s area, it has a lot of common/familiar species that are ground level for kids to get close to and they do animal presentations here)
'Garden Eels' (927 gallons)
Legoland California's "Deep-sea Adventure" Ride
I'm also including Legoland California's Submarine ride on this list, since both entities are owned by the same company, and since it's a stand-alone ride, it doesn't really deserve its own thread. However, when it opened, a lot of animals from Sealife were moved over for the ride, including the only White-spotted Wedgefish on the West Coast (another notable reason why I'm including the exhibit).
You are allowed to visit Sealife separately from Legoland, however, since Sealife is inside the Legoland campus, you do have to pay for the parking, which is $35.. (That was a "nice" surprise). Honestly, with how small it is, I wouldn't visit it solely for SEA LIFE since a ticket + parking comes out to $55, which you can save $20 and just go to the Birch Aquarium instead which is far, far, better.
But if you want to visit Legoland too, they do have a deal which includes tickets for both. Honestly, the ride isn't bad at all, and they do provide some signage at times when the ride stalls for people to view the animals, but because it's always moving, so you're not guaranteed to see all of the fish. Thankfully, it is free, so you can go as many times as you'd like. I will start with SEA LIFE first, then move onto the Legoland ride.
- Species in Green are on exhibit, but signed
- Species in Red are off exhibit / weren't seen, but are signed
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As of 26/6/25 |
'California Watershed' (4,201 gallons total system volume, since it's divided into 2 tanks)
- Black Crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)
- Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus
- Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)
- Brown Bullhead Catfishes (Ameiurus nebulosus)
- Golden Shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas)
- Arroyo Chub (Gila orcuttii)
- Rainbow Darters (Etheostoma caeruleum)
- Banded Darters (Etheostoma zonale)
- Pacific Pond Turtle (Actinemys marmorata)
- Leopard Shark (Triakis semifasciata)
- California Horn Sharks (Heterodontus francisci)
- California Moray (Gymnothorax mordax)
- Kelp Bass (Paralabrax clathratus)
- Halfmoons (Medialuna californiensis)
- Blacksmiths (Chromis punctipinnis)
- Sargo Grunts (Anisotremus davidsonii)
- Copper Rockfish (Sebastes caurinus)
- Gopher Rockfish (Sebastes carnatus)
- Black and Yellow Rockfish (Sebastes chrysomelas)
- Purple Sea Urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus)
- Red Sea Urchins (Mesocentrotus franciscanus)
- Wavy Turban Snails (Megastraea undosa)
- Green Sea Urchins (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis)
- (The Mussels and Barnacles are fake).
- Giant Plumose Anemones (Metridium farcimen)
- Strawberry Anemones (Corynactis californica)
- California Sea Cucumbers (Apostichopus californicus)
- Catalina Gobies (Lythrypnus dalli)
- Blackeye Gobies (Rhinogobiops nicholsii)
- Striped Seaperches (Embiotoca lateralis)
- Strawberry Anemones (Corynactis californica)
- Sea Lettuce (Ulva sp)
- Swell Sharks (Cephaloscyllium ventriosum)
- Garibaldi (Hypsypops rubicundus)
- Blacksmiths (Chromis punctipinnis)
- Kelp Bass (Paralabrax clathratus)
- Flag Rockfish (Sebastes rubrivinctus)
- Black Rockfish (Sebastes melanops)
- Quillback Rockfish (Sebastes maliger)
- Opaleyes (Girella nigricans)
- Gopher Rockfish (Sebastes carnatus)
- Copper Rockfish (Sebastes caurinus)
- Barred Seabass (Paralabrax nebulifer)
- California Scorpionfish (Scorpaena guttata)
- Fish-eating Anemones (Urticina piscivora)
- White Spotted Rose Anemones (Urticina eques)
- Sand Rose Anemones (Urticina columbiana)
- Mottled Sea Stars (Evasterias troschelii)
- Short Spined Sea Stars (Pisaster brevispinus)
- Bat Sea Stars (Patiria miniata)
- Giant Green Anemones (Anthopleura xanthogrammica)
- White-spotted Rose Anemones (Urticina eques)
- Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini)
- Fish-eating Anemones (Urticina piscivora)
- Mottled Sea Stars (Evasterias troschelii)
"Ranger Station" (Basically like a children’s area, it has a lot of common/familiar species that are ground level for kids to get close to and they do animal presentations here)
- Common Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina)
- Savannah Monitor (Varanus exanthematicus)
- Ball Python (Python regius)
- Red Hawaiian Reef Lobster (Enoplometopus occidentalis)
- Various live soft corals
- Ocellaris Clownfish ("orange storm" variety) (Amphiprion ocellaris)
- Various live corals
- Lined Seahorses (Hippocampus erectus)
- Caribbean Hermit Crabs (Coenboita clypeatus)
- Pacific Sardines (Sardinops sagax caerulea)
- Striped Shore Crab (Pachygrapsus crassipes)
- Purple Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus)
- Norris Top Snail (Norrisia norrisii)
- Wavy Turban Snail (Megastraea undosa)
- Norris Top Snail (Norrisia norrisii)
- Purple Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus)
- Decorator Crab (Loxorhynchus crispatus)
- Wavy Turban Snail (Megastraea undosa)
- Flatspine Brittlestars (Ophiopteris papillosa)
- Red Rock Shrimp (Lysmata californica)
- Bat Sea Stars (Patiria miniata)
- Giant Green Anemones (Anthopleura xanthogrammica)
- Red Sea Urchins (Mesocentrotus franciscanus)
- Red Abalone (Haliotis rufescens)
- Wavy Turban Snail (Megastraea undosa)
- Tidepool Sculpin (Oligocottus maculosus)
- Serpent Star (Ophiothrix sp.)
- Bat Sea Stars (Patiria miniata)
- California Sea Cucumbers (Apostichopus californicus)
- White Spotted Rose Anemones (Urticina eques)
- Sand Rose Anemones (Urticina columbiana)
- Purple Sea Urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus)
- Banana Wrasse (Thalassoma lutescens)
- Red Firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica)
- Bristle-tailed Filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus)
- Halloween Hermit Crabs (Ciliopagurus strigatus)
- Chocolate Chip Sea Stars (Protoreaster nodosus)
- Moon Jellies (Aurelia aurita)
- Engineer Gobies (Pholidichthys leucotaenia)
- Yellow Watchman Gobies (Cryptocentrus cinctus)
- Orange Spot Prawn Gobies (Amblyeleotris guttata)
- Lawnmower Blennies (Salarias fasciatus)
- Tiger Watchman Goby (Valenciennea wardii)
- Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus)
- Emerald Crab (Mithraculus sculptus)
- Slate Pencil Urchin (Heterocentrotus mamillatus)
- Banggai Cardinalfishes (Pterapogon kauderni)
- Long Spine Sea Urchins (Diadema antillarum)
- Five-lined Cardinalfishes (Cheilodipterus quinquelineatus)
- Half and Half Wrasse (Hemigymnus melapterus)
- Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish (Dendrochirus brachypterus)
- Variegated Sea Urchin (Tripneustes gratilla)
- Chocolate Chip Sea Star (Protoreaster nodosus)
- Sand Sifting Sea Star (Astropecten polyacanthus)
- Red Knob Sea Star (Protoreaster lincki)
- Grey Reef Sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos)
- Whitetip Reef Sharks (Triaenodon obesus)
- Zebra Sharks (Stegasoma tigrinum)
- Brown-banded Bamboo Sharks (Chiloscyllium punctatum)
- Australian Epaulette Sharks (Hemiscyllium ocellatum)
- Ocellated Eagle Ray (Aetobatus ocellatus)
- Atlantic Cownose Rays (Rhinoptera bonasus)
- Mangrove Whiprays (Urogymnus granulatus)
- Honeycomb Whipray (Himantura urunak)
- Giant Shovelnose Ray (Glaucostegus typus)
- Green Moray Eel (Gymnothorax funebris) (Could've been hiding)
- Blue Speckled Grouper (Epinephelus cyanopodus)
- Golden Trevally's (Gnathanodon speciosus)
- Silver Monos (Monodactylus argenteus)
- Hi-hat's (Pareques acuminatus)
- Naso Tangs (Naso lituratus)
- Queen Angelfishes (Holacanthus ciliaris)
- Orange-shoulder Tangs (Acanthurus olivaceus)
- Common Bluestripe Snappers (Lutjanus kasmira)
- French Angelfishes (Pomacanthus paru)
- Foxface Rabbitfishes (Siganus vulpinus)
- One-spot Foxface Rabbitfishes (Siganus unimaculatus)
- Fiji Foxface Rabbitfishes (Siganus uspi)
- Panamic Porkfishes (Anisotremus taeniatus)
- Threadfin Snappers (Symphorichthys spilurus)
- Vlamingi Tangs (Naso vlamingii)
- Spotted Unicorn Tangs (Naso brevirostris)
- Blue Spine Unicorn Tangs (Naso unicornis)
- Sailfin Tangs (Zebrasoma veliferum)
- Red Emperor Snapper (Lutjanus sebae)
- Queensland Grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus)
- Bumblebee Grouper (Epinephelus laceolatus)
- Bluelined Hind Grouper (Cephalopholis formosa)
- Spotted Sweetlips (Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides)
- Yellow Tangs (Zebrasoma flavescens)
- Eye-stripe Tangs (Acanthurus dussumieri)
- Yellowfin Surgeonfish (Acanthurus xanthopterus)
- Orbicular Batfishes (Platax orbicularis)
- Raccoon Butterflyfishes (Chaetodon lunula)
- Doublebar Rabbitfishes (Siganus virgatus)
- Gold Spotted Rabbitfishes (Siganus punctatus)
- Indo-Pacific Sergant Majors (Abudefduf vaigiensis)
- Convict Tangs (Acanthurus triostegus)
- Spotted Drum (Equetus punctatus)
- Falcula Butterflyfish (Chaetodon falcula)
- Blue Streak Cleaner Wrasses (Labroides dimidiatus)
- Two-spot Red Snapper (Lutjanus bohar)
- Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
- Flame Angelfish (Centropyge loricula)
- Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon)
- Naso Tang (Naso lituratus)
- Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus)
- Mandarin Dragonet (Synchiropus splendidus)
- Red Head Solon Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus solorensis)
- Blue Streak Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus)
- lots of various live corals
- White-eyed Moray (Gymnothorax thyrsoideus)
- Spotfin Squirrelfish (Neoniphon sammara)
- Crimson Soldierfish (Myripristis murdjan)
- Violet Soldierfish (Myripristis violacea)
- Peacock Grouper (Cephalopholis argus)
- Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans)
- Snowflake Moray (Echidna nebulosa) (Pretty sure this one is actually the Snowflake Moray in the adjacent tank)
- Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus)
- Japanese Pineapple Fish (Monocentris japonica)
- Lyretail Anthias (males and females) (Pseudanthias squammipinis)
- Porcupine Pufferfish (Diodon holocanthus)
- Japanese Dragon Moray (Enchelycore pardalis)
- Snowflake Moray (Echidna nebulosa)
- Ocellated Moray (Gymnothorax saxicola)
- Zebra Moray (Gymnomuraena zebra)
- Orange-lined Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus)
'Garden Eels' (927 gallons)
- Spotted Garden Eels (Heteroconger hassi)
- Pajama Cardinalfishes (Sphaeramia nematoptera)
- Marine Betta / Comet (Calloplesiops altivelis)
- Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus)
- Blood Red Fire Shrimp (Lysmata debelius)
- Long Spine Sea Urchin (Diadema antillarum)
- Mediterranean Slipper Lobster (Scyllarides latus)
- Naso Tangs (Naso lituratus)
- Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon)
- Three Stripe Damselfish (Dascyllus aruanus)
- Four Stripe Damselfish (Dascyllus melanurus)
- Sailfin Tang (Zebrasoma veliferum)
- Lagoon Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus aculeatus)
- Mimic Tang (Acanthurus pyroferus)
- Tomini Tang (Ctenochaetus tominiensis)
- Emperor Angelfish (Pomacanthus imperator)
- Ambon Damselfish (Pomacentrus amboinensis)
- Lemon Damselfish (Pomacentrus moluccensis)
- Scopas Tang (Zebrasoma scopas)
- Longnose Butterflyfish (Forcipiger flavissimus)
- Blue-green Chromis (Chromis viridis)
- Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)
- Atlantic Cownose Rays (Rhinoptera bonasus)
- Eastern Fiddler Rays (Trygonorrhina fasciata)
- Blue Spotted Ribbontail Ray (Taeniura lymma)
- Japanese Bullhead Shark (Heterodontus japonicus)
- Lookdowns (Selene vomer)
- Giant Hawkfish (Cirrhitus rivulatus)
- White's Seahorses (Hippocampus whitei)
- Bumblebee Shrimp (Gnathophyllum americanum)
- Lined Seahorses (Hippocampus erectus)
- Pot-bellied Seahorses (Hippocampus abdominalis)
- Red Sea Urchins (Mesocentrotus franciscanus)
- Keyhole Limpet (Diodora aspera I'm guessing)
- Pot-bellied Seahores (Hippocampus abdominalis)
- Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
- Blue Hippo Tangs (Paracanthurus hepatus)
- Moorish Idol (Zanclus cornutus)
- Longnose Butterflyfish (Forcipiger flavissimus)
- Skunk Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis)
- Slate Pencil Urchin (Heterocentrotus mamillatus)
- Bubbletip Anemones (Entacmaea quadricolor)
- Longhorn Cowfish (Lactoria cornuta)
- Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon)
- Mimic Tang (Acanthurus pyroferus)
- Longnose Hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus)
- Blue-green Chromis (Chromis viridis)
- Lyretail Damselfish (Neopomacentrus azysron)
- Tomini Tang (Ctenochaetus tominiensis)
- Blue Spotted Maskray (Neotrygon kuhlii)
- Yellow Stingray (Urobatis jamaicensis)
- Australian Epaulette Sharks (Hemiscyllium ocellatum)
- Japanese Bullhead Shark (Heterodontus japonicus)
- Doublebar Rabbitfishes (Siganus virgatus)
- Guineafowl Puffer (Arothron meleagris)
Legoland California's "Deep-sea Adventure" Ride
- Blacktip Reef Sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus)
- Nurse Sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum)
- White-spotted Wedgefish (Rhynchobatus australiae) (The only one on the West Coast of the United States)
- Mangrove Whiprays (Urogymnus granulatus)
- Foxface Rabbitfishes (Siganus vulpinus)
- Panamic Porkfishes (Anisotremus taeniatus)
- Spotted Unicorn Tangs (Naso brevirostris)
- Bigscale Soldierfish (Myripristis berndti)
- Epaulette Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigricauda)
- Ringtail Surgeonfish (Acanthurus blochii)
- Redbelly Yellowtail Fusiliers (Caesio cuning)
- Coral Grouper (Cephalopholis miniata)
- Orange Shoulder Tangs (Acanthurus olivaceus)
- Common Bluestripe Snappers (Lutjanus kasmira)
- Two-spot Red Snappers (Lutjanus bohar)
- Vlamingi Tangs (Naso vlamingii)
- Black-spot Snappers (Lutjanus ehrenbergii)
- Laced Moray? (Gymnothorax favagineus) (It’s a little hard to see in the back but that’s what it most resembled)
- Gold Spotted Rabbitfishes (Siganus punctatus)
- Red Breasted Wrasse (Cheilinus fasciatus)
- Stars and Stripes Pufferfish (Arothron hispidus)
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