Archive for April, 2019


4-20-19 Rainbow Surfperch from Ron’s California Coast Marine Series

Filed under: Subtropical Marine — Leave a comment
April 20, 2019

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-likes)
Family: Embiotocidae (Surfperches)

Genus/species: Hypsurus caryi

 GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Compressed and oval to oblong-shaped body. Base coloration is usually silver, and some species have stripes or bars, which may be dependent on the time of year (breeding vs. non-breeding coloration) and whether the fish is a juvenile or adult. Fins tinged with orange with black blotch on continuous soft dorsal and anal fins. The caudal (tail) fin is forked.

Maximum fish length per species ranges from 4 to 18 inches.

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Subtropical. Cape Mendocino to northern Baja California along rocky shores, often at the edges of kelp beds; occasionally over sand but not found in the surf zone.

DIET IN THE WILD: Rainbow Surfperch feed on isopods, amphipods and other crustaceans; also snails and brittle stars.

REPRODUCTION: H. caryi males approach the female from below; both swim with vents close for 2 or 3 seconds, then separate and repeat the process. As with all surfperches fertilization is internal and they are viviparous (livebearers) giving birth to as many as 22 young which are fully-formed (5 cm) at birth miniature versions of the adults.

 CONSERVATION: IUCN: Not evaluated.

 REMARKS: Divers in Monterey Bay report Rainbow Surfperch cleaning ocean sunfish (Mola mola).

 References

Ron’s flickr  https://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/36159456555/in/album-72157608359804936/

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium California Rocky Coast 2019

California Dept. of Fish and Wildlifewww.dfg.ca.gov/marine/sfmp/surfperch-id.asp

 fishbase www.fishbase.org/summary/3633

 eol eol.org/pages/995097/overview

 

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4-15-19 Pile Perch from Ron’s California Coast Marine Series

Filed under: TEMPERATE MARINE — Leave a comment
April 15, 2019

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum:  Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-likes)
Suborder: Labroidei
Family: Embiotocidae (surfperches)

Genus/species: Rhacochilus vacca 

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Above there is a silvery luster with a dark gray or brown pigment.  The silvery luster which dominates the color on its sides and belly with darker blotches on the back and sides. There are dark vertical bars on juveniles and the fins are dusky with a deeply forked caudal fin.

Length 25–30 cm (10-12 inches); maximum 42 cm (16.5 in).

 

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Found from Alaska to north central Baja California, Mexico among rocky shores, pilings, kelp beds, underwater structures to 46 m (150 ft).      

 PilePerchIMG_0091

DIET IN THE WILD: R. vacca feed on hard-shelled mollusks, crabs and barnacles. 

REPRODUCTION: Fertilization is internal. Viviparous (live bearer). Fecundity increases with age, averaging from 11–60 young.

LONGEVITY: 7–10 years.

CONSERVATION: Least Concern, the distribution of this species may coincide with a number of designated marine protected areas.

REMARKS: Specialized pharyngeal dentition enable the pile perch to crush hard shells persuading some ichthyologists to place the species in its own genus (Damalichthys). 

References

California Academy of Sciences, Steinhart Aquarium, California Rocky Coast 2019

Ron’s flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/7800199372/in/set-72157608348783942/

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium California Rocky Coast 2017

fishbase www.fishbase.org/summary/3640

Ron’s WordPress shortlink  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-Co

eol eol.org/pages/205598/details

IUCN Least Concern www.iucnredlist.org/details/155179/0

8-16-12, 8-7-14, 8-1-17, 4-15-19

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4-10-19 Black Surfperch from Ron’s California Coastal Marine Series

Filed under: TEMPERATE MARINE — Leave a comment
April 10, 2019

TAXONOMY

Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Suborder:Labroidei
Family: Embiotocidae (surfperches)                

Genus/species: Embiotoca jacksoni                           

 GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS:The body is deep and compressed. Their colors are various shades of brown, red, green above, yellowish below, darker bars on sides with a blue bar on base of anal fin. Note a mustache-like black bar on upper lip.  

Length up to 39 cm (15 in)

 

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT; Black Surfperch are found from Fort Bragg, California to Punta Abreojos, Baja California, Mexico nearshore reefs and kelp forests. They are also found over sand, and in estuaries near algae usually within 1 m (3 ft) of the substrate.

DIET IN THE WILD: E. jacksoni  feed on worms, crustaceans and mollusks. They are also cleaner fish of conspecifics as well as other species.

REPRODUCTION: Summer is the peak breeding season. Fertilization is internal. Viviparous; young embryos are nourished internally and are quite large as newborns.

PREDATORS: Leopard sharks

CONSERVATION: Not evaluated

REMARKS: The species name jacksoni, is after A.C. Jackson, who, in the 19th century, first noted that surfperches gave birth to live young.  Fertilization is also internal as it is in Rockfishes.

References

California Academy of Sciences, Steinhart Aquarium, California Coastal Marine 2019

Ron’s flickr  http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/4716007223/in/set-72157608359804936/

Ron’s WordPress Shortlink  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-C7

eol eol.org/pages/207197/details 

fishbase www.fishbase.org/summary/3628

 

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