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Striped Bass

Striped Bass from the Fort Point Pier  Temperate Sea Basses: Family Percichthyidae Species: Morone saxatilis (Walbaum, 1792); from Morone (a word of unknown origin attributed to Samuel Latham Mitchell who named it in 1814) and the Latin saxatilis (to live among rocks). CA Fish Bulletin…

California Scorpionfish

Scorpionfishes and Rockfishes: Family Scorpaenidae Species: Scorpaena guttata (Girard, 1854); from the Greek word scorpaena (scorpion, referring to the poison spines), and the Latin word guttata (a form of small drops or spotting). Alternate Names: Commonly called sculpin although also called scorpionfish, scorpion, little poker,…

Pacific Chub Mackerel

Mackerels and Tunas: Family Scombridae Species: Scomber japonicus (Houttuyn, 1782); from the Greek word scombros (an ancient name for the common mackerel of Europe) and japoniocus (of Japan). The scientific name was given as Pneumatophorus japonicus diego in the Commercial Fisheries Fish Bulletin #28 (Lionel…

King Salmon

Trouts and Salmon: Family Salmonidae Species: Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum, 1792); from the Greek roots onkos (hook), rynchos (nose), and tshawytscha (the vernacular name for the species in Alaska and Kamchatka, USSR). Alternate Names: Chinook salmon, black mouth, spring salmon, tyee (large specimens over 30 pounds),…

Kelp Rockfish

Scorpionfishes and Rockfishes: Family Scorpaenidae Species: Sebastes atrovirens (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880); from the Greek word sebastes (magnificent), and the Latin word atrovirens (black and green). Alternate Names: Confused with gopher rockfish, grass rockfish, and brown rockfish. Commonly called sugar bass, sometimes called dumb bass…

California Halibut

Lefteye Flounders: Family Bothidae Species: Paralichthys californicus (Ayres, 1859); from the Greek word paralichthys (parallel fish) and californicus (Californian)—a California fish that lies parallel to the bottom. Halibut taken by KJ at the Balboa Pier Alternate Names: Halibut, flounder, hali, flattie (or flatty), chicken halibut,…

Yellowfin Croaker

Croakers: Family Sciaenidae Species: Umbrina roncador (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882); from the Greek word umbra (shade, referring to its darkened, shady sides) and the Spanish word roncador (a snorer, or to snore). It is, afterall, a croaker. Alternate Names: Surf fish, golden croaker, Catalina croaker,…

Barred Surfperch

Surfperches/Seaperches — Family Embiotocidae Species: Amphistichus argenteus (Agassiz, 1854); from the Greek word amphistichus (a double series, concerning the two rows of teeth in each jaw), and the Latin word argenteus (silvery). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Amphistichinae. Alternate Names: Silver perch, barreds, sand perch, surfperch, and…

Giant Kelpfish

Kelpfishes and Fringeheads: Family Clinidae Species: Heterostichus rostratus (Girard, 1854); from the Greek words heter (different) and ost (extra bone), and the Latin word rostratus (beaked or hooked). Alternate Names: Kelpfish, eel, iodine fish, butterfish, and kelp blenny. Called sargacero gigante in Mexico. Identification: The…

Garibaldi

Damselfishes: Family Pomacentridae Species: Hypsypops rubicundus (Girard, 1854); from the Greek word hypsypops (high area below the eye) and the Latin word rubicunda (red). Alternate Names: Golden perch, ocean sunfish and ocean goldfish. In Mexico called jaqueta garibaldi. As for the name garibaldi, it apparently…