Tag: Pier Fishing In 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…

Pacific Hake

Hakes: Family Merlucciidae Species: Merluccius productus (Ayres, 1855); from the Latin words merluccius (an ancient name meaning sea pike) and procuctus (drawn out). Alternate Names: Cod, hake, silver hake, Pacific whiting, haddock, whitefish, popeye and oatmeal fish. Early-day names included mellusa and meluzette. In Mexico…

Pacific Sardine

Herring: Family Clupeidae Species: Sardinops sagax (Jenyns, 1842); from the Latin word sardine (sardina), the Greek word ops (like), and the Latin word sagux (of quick perception, acute or alert). Alternate Names: Pilchard, ‘dines, dinies (small sardines) and dinos, firecrackers (small sardines), rhinos or trout…

Blue Rockfish

Scorpionfishes and Rockfishes: Family Scorpaenidae Species: Sebastes mystinus (Jordan & Gilbert, 1881); from the Greek words sebastes (magnificent) and mystas (priest, referring to the dark color of a priest’s clothing). Alternate Names: Often called blue bass, blue fish, blue perch and reef perch; also confused…

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…

Black Rockfish

Scorpionfishes and Rockfishes: Family Scorpaenidae Species: Sebastes melanops (Girard, 1856); from the Greek words sebastes (magnificent), melas (black), and ops (face). Alternate Names: Commonly called black bass, bass rockfish or black snapper; also confused with and called blue rockfish; sometimes called bluefish, Columbia River rockfish,…

Brown Rockfish

Scorpionfishes and Rockfishes: Family Scorpaenidae Species: Sebastes auriculatus (Girard, 1854); from the Greek word sebastes (magnificent) and the Latin word auriculatus (eared, referring to the large spot on the gill cover). Alternate Names: Chocolate bass is a common name as is bolina (from Bolinas Bay…

Black & Yellow Rockfish

Scorpionfishes and Rockfishes: Family Scorpaenidae Species: Sebastes chrysomelas (Jordan & Gilbert 1881); from the Greek word sebastes (magnificent), and the Latin word chrysomelas (black and yellow). Alternate Names: Black-and-tan rockfish, black-and-yellow rock cod, and sand bass. Early commercial fishermen in California (who often were Italian…

Copper Rockfish

Scorpionfishes and Rockfishes: Family Scorpaenidae Species: Sebastes caurinus (Richardson, 1844); from the Greek word sebastes (magnificent). and the Latin word caurinus (northwest wind), a reference to the first specimens being taken in the northwest off of Sitka, Alaska. Alternate Names: Chucklehead, whitebelly rockfish, white gopher,…

Ocean Whitefish

Tilefishes: Family Malacanthidae Species: Caulolatilus princeps (Jenyns, 1840); from the Greek words caulo (stem) and latilus (probably a similar fish) and the Latin word princeps (leader). Alternate Names: Poor man’s yellowtail, whities, blanquillo, blanka. In Mexico called pez blanco, blanquillo fino or pierna. Identification: Elongate…