Category: Fish

Sarcastic Fringehead

Kelpfishes and Fringeheads: Family Clinidae Species: Neoclinus blanchardi (Girard, 1858); from the Greek words neos (young) and clin (recline), and Blanchard (in reference to its discoverer). Alternate Names: Twospot fringehead or fringehead. Called tubícola chusco or blenia in Mexico. Identification: Typical slender blenny-shape but with…

California Lizardfish

Lizardfishes: Family Synodontidae Species: Synodus lucioceps (Ayres, 1855); from the Greek word synodus (the ancient name of a fish in which the teeth meet), and the Latin word lucioceps (pike head). Alternate Names: Gar, barracuda, candlefish. Called lagarto lucio or chile lucio in Mexico. Identification:…

Grass Rockfish

Scorpionfishes and Rockfishes: Family Scorpaenidae Species: Sebastes rastrelliger (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880); from the Greek words sebastes (magnificent) and rastrelliger (a rake, in reference to the stubby gill rakers). Alternate Names: Often called a variation of bass—grass bass, rock bass, pepper bass, sugar bass, and…

Kelp Bass

Sea Basses: Family Serranidae Species: Paralabrax clathratus (Girard, 1854); from the Greek words para (near) and labrax (a European bass), and the Latin clathratus (latticed, referring to the coloring on the back). Kelp bass caught by Angel Hernandez at the Crystal Pier in San Diego…

White Sturgeon

Sturgeons: Family Acipenseridae Acipenser transmontanus, the bottom feeder, Moves sluggishly through the turbid depths of the estuary Its truncated mouth sifting the silty bottom Groping for herring egg, ghost shrimp and worm… “Bottom Feeder” — Kirk Lombard and the Rube Waddell Band Species: Acipenser transmontanus…

Pacific Barracuda

Barracudas: Family Sphyraenidae Species: Sphyraena argentea (Girard, 1854); from the Greek word sphyraena (an ancient name meaning hammer fish) and the Latin word argenteum (silvery). Alternate Names: Pacific barracuda, cuda, barry, gar, fire hose, stove pipe, skinny, scooter, scoot, snake, slime, slimestick, pencil (small fish),…

Spotfin Croaker

Spotfin croaker caught by Angel Hernandez at the Crystal Pier in San Diego Croakers: Family Sciaenidae Species: Roncador stearnsii (Steindachner, 1876); from the Spanish word roncador (in reference to a snorer) and stearnsii (referring to Robert E. C. Stearns, a 19th Century sea shell expert…

California Corbina

Species: Menticirrhus undulates (Girard, 1854); from the Latin words menticirrhus (chin barbel) and undulatus (waved, referring to the wavy lines on its sides). Alternate Names: Whiting or California whiting, king croaker, corbie, corvina, bagre and the favorites of many—bean and beanie. In Mexico called berrugata…

Cabezon

Sculpins: Family Cottidae Species: Scorpaenichthys marmoratus (Ayres, 1854); from the Greek words scorpaena (a related species) and ichthys (fish), and the Latin word marmoratus (marbled). Cabezon from the Goeta Pier Alternate Names: Commonly called bullhead; also marbled sculpin, cab, cabby, bull cod, blue cod, giant…

Striped Seaperch

Surfperches/Seaperches: Family Embiotocidae Species: Embiotoca lateralis (Agassiz, 1854); from the Greek root words embios (living) and tocos (to bring forth) and the Latin word lateralis (lateral, due to their blue stripes). Alternate Names: Striped surfperch, rainbow perch, blue perch, striped surf fish. Early-day names included squawfish…