Tag: Saltwater Fish

Rock Wrasse

Wrasses: Family Labridae Species: Halichoeres semicinctus (Ayres, 1859); from the Greek words hal (belonging to the sea) and choer (like a pig); and the Latin words semi (half) and cinct (banded, in reference to the color). Alternate Names: Wrasse, iodine fish and Parrot Fish. Called…

Monkeyface Prickleback

Pricklebacks: Family Stichaeidae Species: Cebidichthys violaceus (Girard, 1854); from the Greek cebidichthys (two words meaning Sapajou—a kind of monkey, and fish); and the Latin word violaceus (meaning violet). Alternate Names: Monkeyface eel, blenny eel, monkeyface blenny. Called abrojo cara de mono in Mexico. Identification: Typical…

Shortfin Corvina

Croakers: Family Sciaenidae Species: Cynoscion parvipinnis (Ayres, 1861); from the Greek words kyon (dog) and skion (from sciaena, an old name for a European croaker) and the Latin words parvi (small) and pinnis (fins). Alternate Names: Bigtooth corvina, shortfin seabass, sea trout, weakfish, caravina and…

White Seabass

Croakers: Family Sciaenidae Species: Atractoscion nobilis (Ayres, 1860) from the Greek words atrax (spindle) and skion (from sciaena, an old name for a European croaker) and the Latin word nobilis (noble). Known as Cynoscion nobilis until the 1990s. White seabass taken at the Ventura Pier…

Black Croaker

Croakers: Family Sciaenidae Species: Cheilotrema saturnum (Girard, 1858); from the Greek word cheilotrema (lip pores) and the Latin word saturnum (dusky color). Alternate Names: China croaker, Chinese croaker, Chinafin croaker and red roncador. Early names included black perch and black bass. Given the references to…

Pacific Sanddab

Lefteye Flounders: Family Bothidae Species: Citharichthys sordidus (Girard, 1854); from the Greek word citharichthys (a fish that lies on its ribs or side) and the Latin word sordidus (sordid or dull-colored). Listed as Orthopsetta sordida in Fish Bulletin #28. Alternate Names: Sanddab, soft flounder, sole,…

Speckled Sanddab

Lefteye Flounders: Family Bothidae Species: Citharichthys stigmaeus (Jordan & Gilbert); from the Greek word citharichthys (a fish that lies on its ribs or side) and the Latin word stigmaeus (speckled). Alternate Names: Sanddab, soft flounder and Catalina sanddab. Called lenguado pecoso in Mexico. Identification: Speckled…

Spotfin Surfperch

Surfperches/Seaperches: Family Embiotocidae Species: Hyperprosopon anale (Agassiz, 1854); from the Greek root words hyper (above) and prosopon (face, from the upward direction of the face) and the Greek prefix ana (back again or similar). Alternate Names: Silver perch. In Mexico called mojarra aletimanchada or perca. 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…

Zebraperch

Sea Chubs: Family Kyphosidae Species: Hermosilla azure (Jenkins & Evermann, 1889); from Hermosillo (the name of the capitol city of Sonora Province in Mexico, near where first collected) and the Latin word azurea (sky-blue coloring). Alternate Names: Zebra perch, convict fish and sea chub. In…