Category: Perch

Reef Perch

Surfperches: Family Embiotocidae Species: Micrometrus aurora (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880); from the Greek words mikros (small) and metr (having a womb), and the Latin word aurora (sunrise). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Embiotocinae. Alternate Names: Reef surfperch. In Mexico called mojarra de arrecife or perca. Identification: Typical…

Kelp Perch

Surfperches: Family Embiotocidae Species: Brachyistius frenatus (Gill, 1862); from the Greek words brachys (short) and istion (sail), and the Latin word frenatus (bridled). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Embiotocinae. Alternate Names: Brown seaperch, brown perch and kelp seaperch. In Mexico called mojarra sargacera or perca. Identification: Typical…

Silver Surfperch

Picture courtesy of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Surfperches: Family Embiotocidae Species: Hyperprosopon ellipticum (Gibbons, 1854); from the Greek root words hyper (above) and prosopon (face, from the upward direction of the face), and the Latin word ellipticum (elliptical, referring to the outline of…

Sharpnose Seaperch

Surfperches: Family Embiotocidae Species: Phanerodon atripes (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880); from the Greek root words phaneros (meaning evident) and odons (tooth) and the Latin words atri (entrance) and pes (base of). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Embiotocinae. Alternate Names: Blackfoot seaperch and sharpnose surfperch. In Mexico called…

White Seaperch

Surfperches: Family Embiotocidae Species: Phanerodon furcatus (Girard, 1854); from the Greek root words phaneros (evident) and odons (tooth) and the Latin word furcatus (forked tail). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Embiotocinae. Alternate Names: Splittail perch, forktail perch and white perch. In Mexico called mojarra lomo rayado. Identification:…

Calico Surfperch

Surfperches/Seaperches: Family Embiotocidae Species: Amphistichus koelzi (Hubbs, 1933); from the Greek words amphi (double) and stoichos (series, referring to the two rows of teeth in each jaw) and Walter Koelz, a U.S. ichthyologist. Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Amphistichinae. Alternate Names: Surf perch, humpback perch, porgie (or…

Spotfin Surfperch

Surfperches/Seaperches: Family Embiotocidae Alternate Names: Silver perch. In Mexico called mojarra aletimanchada or perca. Identification: Although similar to both the walleye surfperch and silver surfperch, the spotfin surfperch is identified by the large black spots in the dorsal and anal fins. Their coloring is a…

Dwarfperch

Surfperches: Family Embiotocidae Species: Micrometrus minimus (Gibbons, 1854); from the Greek words mikros (small) and metr (having a womb), and the Latin word minim (smallest). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Embiotocinae. Alternate Names: None that I have heard, although I have seen them mistakenly called shinerperch. In…

Shiner Perch

Surfperches: Family Embiotocidae Species: Cymatogaster aggregata (Gibbons, 1854); from the Greek root words cymo (foetus or fetus) and gastro (belly) and the Latin word aggregatus (crowded together, referring to the schooling nature of the fish). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Embiotocinae. Alternate Names: Commonly called shiner; also…

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…