Tag: Pier Fishing In California

Pacific Herring

Herring: Family Clupeidae Species: Clupea harengus pallasi (Valenciennes, 1847); from the Latin word clupea (herring), the Low Latin word harengus, which probably comes from old High German, possibly associated with (das) herr, (army or multitude, in reference to the formation of large schools), and pallasi,…

California Butterfly Ray

Species: Gymnura marmorata (Cooper, 1864); from the Greek word gymnos (bare) and the Latin word marmoratus (marbled). Alternate Names: stingray, butterfly stingray, eagle ray, diamond ray or butterfly ray. In Mexico it’s called raya mariposa de California. In Denmark it’s apparently called Californisk sommerfuglerokke; not…

Specklefin Midshipman

Toadfishes: Family Batrachoididae Species: Porichthys myriaster (Hubbs & Schultz, 1939); from the Greek words porus (a passage), ichthys (fish), myri (many), and aster (stars—in reference to the dots on the head and body). Alternate Names: Toadfish, speckled midshipman, bullhead, singing fish. Called sapo aleta manchada…

Striped Mullet

Mullet caught at Carlsbad by jkim in 2004 Mullets: Family Mugilidae Species: Mugil cephalus (Linnaeus, 1758); from mugal (meaning to suck, in reference to their feeding behavior) and cephalus (pertaining to their distinctive head Alternate Names: Mullet or grey mullet. Called lisa or lisa rayada…

Basketweave Cusk-Eel

Cusk-Eel from the Newport Pier Cusk-Eels: Family Ophidiidae Species: Ophidion Scrippsae (Hubbs, 1916); from the words otophidium (referring to the large sacklike inner ear) and scrippsi (in honor of Ellen Browning Scripps who helped establish the Scripps Institution of Oceanography). Formerly Otophidium scrippsi. Alternate Names: Eel…

Painted Greenling

Family Zaniolepididae — Combfishes Species: Oxylebius pictus (Gill, 1862); from the Greek words oxys (sharp) and lepys (kettle—fish) and the Latin word pictus (picture). Formerly considered part of the Hexagrammidae family along with greenling and lingcod but recently moved into Family Zaniolepididae. Alternate Names: Often called…

Lingcod

Greenlings and Lingcod: Family Hexagrammidae Species: Ophidon elongatus (Girard, 1854); from the Greek words ophis (snake) and odons (tooth), and the Latin word elongatus (elongate shaped). Alternate Names: Ling, Pacific cultus, cultus cod, leopard cod, blue cod, gator, greenlinger, green cod and my favorites—slinky linky…

Yellow Snake Eel

Snake Eels and Worm Eels: Family Ophichthidae Species: Ophichthus zophochir (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882); Ophichthus, from two Greek words meaning serpent and fish, and the Greek zophochir, for darkness and hand (dark pectoral fins). Alternate Names: Eww, a snake! In Mexico called Tieso Amarillo; in…

Olive Rockfish

Scorpionfishes and Rockfishes: Family Scorpaenidae Species: Sebastes serranoides (Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1890); from the Greek words sebastes (magnificent), and serranoides, a combination of Latin and Greek words (resembling a bass). Alternate Names: Sugar bass, Johnny bass or Jonathan (in Southern California), greenie (in central California);…

Rock Greenling

Greenlings and Lingcod: Family Hexagrammidae Species: Hexagrammos lagocephalus (Pallas, 1810); from the Greek words hex (six), gramma (line), lagos (hare) and cephelos (head, referring to the large pair of cirri on the head, attached to the edge of the eye). Alternate Names: Commonly called seatrout…