Tag: Pier Fishing In California

Sand Sole

Righteye Flounders: Family Pleuronectidae Species: Psettichthys melanostictus (Girard, 1854); from the Greek words psetta (flounder), ichthys (fish), melas (black) and stictos (specks). Alternate Names: Halibut, sand flounder, spotted flounder, fringe sole or fringe flounder. Identification: Sand sole are in the right-eye flounder family. Most easily…

Longjaw Goby

Gobies: Family Gobiidae Species: Gillichthys mirabilis (Cooper, 1864); from the word gillichthys (gill fish, named in honor of the 19th Century American ichthyologist Theodore Gill) and the Latin word mirabilis (wonderful). Alternate Names: Mudsucker. Called chupalodo grande or gobio in Mexico. Identification: Typical goby shape…

Chameleon Goby

Gobies: Family Gobiidae Species: Tridentiger trigonocephalus   (Gill, 1859). Alternate Names: Striped goby, trident goby and specklefaced goby, Japanese goby, striped tripletooth goby (Russian Federation), polosatyi trekhzubyi bychok (Russian Federation), shimahaze (Japan). Identification: Fat with a wide, flat head; typical goby shape. The coloring is generally…

Silver Salmon

Trouts and Salmon: Family Salmonidae Species: Oncorhynchus kisutch (Walbaum, 1792); from the Greek roots onkos (hook), rhynchos (nose), and kisutch (the vernacular name for the species in Alaska and Kamchatka, USSR). Alternate Names: Coho salmon, silversides, hooknose, hookbill, blueback (young salmon), jack salmon, tschaviche, showitz,…

Onespot Fringehead

Kelpfishes and Fringeheads: Family Clinidae Alternate Names: Fringehead or onespot. Called tubícola mancha singular or blenia in Mexico. Identification: Typical slender blenny-shape, but with a large head and a very large mouth. Their long dorsal fin extends from the rear of the head almost to…

Green Sturgeon

Sturgeons: Family Acipenseridae Species: Acipenser medirostris (Ayres, 1854); from the Latin words Acipenser (bony cartilage), medi (moderate), and rostris (snout). Alternate Names: Golden sturgeon. Called esturión verde in Mexico. Identification: Green sturgeon have streamlined, shark-like bodies with a pointed head that is longer than white…

Shortfin Mako Shark

Species: Isurus oxyrinchus (Rafinesque, 1810); from the Greek word isurus (equal and tail) and the Greek word oxyinchus (sharp snout). Alternate Names: Mako is the work used by the Maori in New Zealand to describe sharks, but this is another shark with many names. In…

Great White Shark

Species: Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758); from the Greek carcharodon (rough and tooth), and carcharias (the ancient Greek name for the species). Alternate Names: It has many names throughout the world. Most common are great white and man-eater. Others include great white death, white pointer, Mango-ururoa…

California Moray

Morays: Family Muraenidae Species: Gymnothorax mordax (Ayres, 1859); from the Greek words gymno and thorax (naked breast or lack of scales) and the Latin word mordax (prone to bite). Alternate Names: Moray or conger eel. Early-day names included marina and muraena. Called morena de California…