Category: Fish

Horn Shark

Bullhead Sharks: Family Heterodontidae Species: Heterodontus francisci (Girard, 1855); from the Greek hetero (different) and odont (tooth) and the Latin francisci (referring to San Francisco). (They have a small pointed tooth at the front of their jaw and a blunt tooth at the rear.) Alternate…

California Sheephead

  Adult male Sheephead caught at the Redondo Sportfishing Pier Wrasses: Family Labridae Species: Bodianus pulcher (Ayres, 1854); from the Latin pulcher (for beautiful). Sheephead were formerly known by the scientific name (1) Pimelometopon pulchrum; pimelometopon meaning fat forehead and (2) Semicossphus pulcher. Why the new…

Pile Perch

Surfperch/Seaperch — Family Embiotocidae Species: Damalichthys vacca (Girard, 1855); from the Greek root words racos (ragged) and cheilos (lips) and the Latin word vacca (like a cow). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Embiotocinae. Alternate Names: Splittail perch, forktail perch, dusky perch, white perch, silver perch, piler perch,…

Wolf-eel

Wolf fishes: Family Anarhichadidae Picture courtesy Outdoor Writers Association of California Species: Anarrhichthys ocellatus (Ayres, 1855); from the Greek word anar-hichas (an ancient name for a fish which resembled this species) and the Latin word ocellatus (eye-like spots). Alternate Names: Moray eel. Called doctorfish in…

Rainbow Seaperch

Surfperches/Seaperches — Family Embiotocidae Species: Hypsurus caryi (Agassiz, 1853); from the Greek word hyps (high), the Latin word urus (a kind of wild ox) and Greek word cary (a nut)—apparently in reference to the shape. Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Embiotocinae. Alternate Names: Rainbow surfperch, striped perch.…

Kelp Greenling

Greenlings and Lingcod: Family Hexagrammidae Species: Hexagrammos decagrammus (Pallas, 1810); from two combinations of Greek words; hex (six) and gramma (line), deca (ten) and gramma (line, referring to the number of lateral lines on the side of the fish). Alternate Names: Commonly called seatrout; also…

Black Perch

Surfperches/Seaperches: Family Embiotocidae Species: Embiotoca jacksoni (Agassiz, 1853); from the Greek word embiotoca (bringing forth living young), and jacksoni (in honor of A. C. Jackson of San Francisco, who first noted that these perch give birth to living young and brought it to the attention…

Pacific Tomcod

Cods: Family Gadidae Species: Microgadus proximus (Girard, 1854); from the Greek words micros (small) and gadus (codfish), and the Latin word proximus (next). Alternate Names: Tomcod, piciata and wachna. Identification: Typical cod-like shape with three dorsal fins and two anal fins. Tomcod have a short…

Pacific Butterfish

Species: Peprilus simillimus (Ayres, 1860); from the Greek word pepricos (one of Hesychian’s unknown fish) and the Latin word simillimus (very similar, in reference to a similar Atlantic butterfish). Alternate Names: Pompano, California pompano, Pacific pompano and dollarfish. Called palometa plateada in Mexico. Identification: A…

Redtail Surfperch

Surfperches/Seaperches: Family Embiotocidae Species: Amphistichus rhodoterus (Agassiz, 1854); from the Greek words amphi (double), stoichus (series, referring to the two rows of teeth in each jaw), and rhodoterus (rosy). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Amphistichinae. Alternate Names: Redtail perch, rosy surf fish and porgy (or porgie). Identification:…