Tag Archive: California Rocky Coast CC06


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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9-8-17 Yellowtail Rockfish from Ron’s California Coastal Marine Series

Filed under: TEMPERATE MARINE — Leave a comment
September 9, 2017

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order: Scorpaeniformes (Scorpionfishes and flatheads)
Family: Sebastidae (Rockfishes, rockcods and thornyheads)

Genus:species: Sebastes flavidus

 

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS:  Olive green to greenish brown with some light mottling dorsally, light ventrally; fins yellowish-green, ventral fins often tinged in orange and edged with pink.  

Max length 66 cm (26 inches) Max weight 2.5 kg (5.5 pounds).

Juvenile photo below.  Juveniles found around floats and pilings.

Juvenile YellowTail Rockfish14290356927_6f6345d4de_k

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT:  Northeast Pacific: Alaska to San Diego, California. Forms schools in open water along steeply sloping shores or above rocky reefs; also amid cracks and crevices of the sea floor.

Depth 0-549 meters (0-1800 feet).

DIET IN THE WILD: Pelagic crustaceans, fishes and squids.

REPRODUCTION: S, flavidus viviparous. Females produce 56,000-1,993,000 eggs per season.

LONGEVITY: Age up to 64 years

CONSERVATION: IUCN; Not evaluated

References

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium California Rocky Coast 2017

Ron’s flickr  http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/7564720004/in/set-72157608359804936

Eschmeyer, W.N., E.S. Herald and H. Hammann, 1983. A field guide to Pacific coast fishes of North America. Boston (MA, USA): Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 140

fishbase www.fishbase.org/summary/Sebastes-flavidus.html

Probably More Than You Want To Know About The Fishes Of The Pacific Coast, Milton Love 1996 Really Big Press ppg. 164-165

eol eol.org/pages/994489/details

Ron’s WordPress Shortlink  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-F1

 

 

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8-31-17 China Rockfish from Ron’s California Coastal Marine Series

Filed under: TEMPERATE MARINE — Leave a comment
August 31, 2017

TAXONOMY
Kingdom:  Animalia
Phylum:  Chordata
Class:  Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order:  Scorpaeniformes  (Scorpionfishes and flatheads)
Family:  Sebastidae    (Rockfishes, Rockcods, and Thornyheads)

Genus/species:   Sebastes nebulosus

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Body blue or black, mottled with yellow with some individuals being white ventrally. A broad yellow stripe from about the 3rd dorsal spine runs into or along the lateral line. Pelvic, anal and caudal fins are dark.

Length up to 45 cm (18 in), weight to 1.7 kg (3.75 lbs)

 

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Southeast Alaska to Southern California. Lives among rocky shores along exposed coasts to depths of 3–138 m (10-450 ft). S. nebulosus lurks solitarily in caverns and among crevices, resting  benthically on their fins. They Often remain on their “homesite” for many years.

DIET IN THE WILD: Preys upon fishes, crustaceans (including amphipods, crabs and shrimps), brittlestars and mollusks (including gastropods, squid and octopuses).

REPRODUCTION: Fertilization internal

MORTALITY: Can live to at least 79 years

CONSERVATION: IUCN, Not evaluated

REMARKS: One of the tastiest rockfishes, but infrequently in markets because it is rarely caught. All rockfishes have venomous spines on dorsal, pectoral and anal fins. Not so toxic as scorpionfishes venom, but still capable of inflicting a painful sting. Sebastes is Greek for “magnificent.” Nebulosus is Latin for “clouded.”

References:

Eschmeyer, W.N., E.S. Herald and H. Hammann, 1983. A field guide to Pacific coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 336 p.

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium California Rocky Coast 2017

fishbase: www.fishbase.org/summary/3984

Probably More Than You Want To Know About The Fishes Of The Pacific Coast, Milton Love 1996 Really Big Press ppg 177-178

Ron’s flickr   http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/sets/72157608333101710/

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

eol eol.org/pages/209609/details

 

 

California Coast CC06

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7-28-17 Redtail Surfperch from Ron’s California Coast Series

Filed under: TEMPERATE MARINE — Leave a comment
July 28, 2017

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Embiotocidae (Surfperches)

Genus/species: Amphistichus rhodoterus

 GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: The body of the Redtail Surfperch is a deep oval shape and is compressed from side to side. All fins reddish or pink. Faded brown bars on the side. Silvery overall with pale olive shading above and 9 to 11 narrow vertical dark bars, posteriorly, broken and staggered along the lateral line. Caudal (tail) fin broadly forked; dorsal fin distinctive for the long dorsal spines that contrast with shorter soft rays.

Length up to: 41 cm (16 in) and 2.1 kg (4.5 lbs.) in weight.

 

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Temperate marine. Vancouver Island to Monterey Bay around sand beaches and rocky shores in surf.

DIET IN THE WILD:  A. rhodoterus feeds on worms, crabs, other small crustaceans, and fishes.

LONGEVITY: Life span: up to 9 years.

REPRODUCTION: The Redtail Surfperch females are viviparous and reproductively mature at 3–4 years; males mature at 2 years. The females enter bays and estuaries to spawn.

REMARKS: This shallow water schooling surfperch is most often caught from central California northward.  A. rhodoterus omprises 10–30% of the total recreational catch in this area. Redtails also support a sizable commercial fishery, and comprise almost 75% of the commercial surfperch catch.

References

Ron’s flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/7800132290/in/album-72157608359804936/

fishbase www.fishbase.org/summary/3624

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium California Rocky Coast 2017

WashingtonDept. of Fish and Wildlife wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/bottomfish/identification/perch/a_rho…

Ron’s WordPress shortlink  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-1jC

 

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7-25-14 Quillback Rockfish from Ron’s Temperate Marine Series

Filed under: TEMPERATE MARINE — Leave a comment
July 25, 2014

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order: Scorpaeniformes (Scorpionfishes and flatheads)
Family: Sebastidae (Rockfishes, rockcods and thornyheads)

Genus/species: Sebastes maliger

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Brown, with yellow to orange ventral mottling. They have light-colored dorsal saddle patches on the anterior part of the body with vague bands over the head and through the dorsal fin. Often have freckles on head. The dorsal fin spines have deeply incised membranes and are very long.  All fins are dark brown to black except for the first dorsal fin, which has a yellow streak. Length To 61 cm (24 in).

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Gulf of Alaska to Anacapa Passage in southern California. Bottom dwellers perching on rocks or hiding in rock crevices in subtidal waters to depths of 274 m (900 ft).

DIET IN THE WILD: Herring, demersal, pelagic crustaceans, crabs, amphipods, euphasiids, and copepods.

REPRODUCTION: Viviparous as in other Sebastes sp.

LONGEVITY: Live to 95 years.

PREDATORS: Larger fish such as sharks.

CONSERVATION: IUCN Not evaluated

California Rocky Coast CC06

References

 fishbase www.fishbase.org/summary/Sebastes-maliger.html

 eol Encyclopedia of Life eol.org/pages/211614/details 

Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlifewdfw.wa.gov/fishing/bottomfish/identification/rockfish/s_…

flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/sets/72157608359804936/with/7793249686/

WORDPRESS SHORTLINK  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-Eu

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10-5-12 Wolf Eel from Ron’s Temperate Marine Series

Filed under: TEMPERATE MARINE — Leave a comment
October 5, 2012

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

Genus/Species:  Anarrhichthys ocellatus

GENERALCHARACTERISTICS
An eel-like fish (large, elongate, compressed body) with no pelvic fins. Large pectoral fins. Colored mostly gray to brown, occasionally greenish. Round dark spots with pale rings on body and fins. Length to 2.4 m (7.2 ft). Weight to 18 kg 41 lb. Not a true eel of the Order Anguilliformes.

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT
Sea of Japan and Aleutian Islands to Imperial Beach, California. Adults live on bottom, usually among rocks in subtidal locations; often in dens.

DIET IN THE WILD
Crabs, sand dollars, marine snails and fishes.

REPRODUCTION
Both male and female wrap their body around the egg mass to keep the eggs in place and to deter predators .

PREDATORS
Predators of eggs include benthic rockfish and kelp greenlings.

REMARKS: Can inflict a painful bite. An edible food fish

LOCATION: California Rocky Coast CC06

flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/4673324895/in/set-72157608359804936/

WORDPRESS SHORTLINK  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-Ff

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