about ˇis book area and species covered · about ˇis book we developed this book to ful˜ll the...

14

About �is Book

We developed this book to ful�ll the need for a comprehensive, current, and compact �eld guide to �shes of the Paci�c northwest and as a companion to A Field Guide to Coastal Fishes: From Maine to Texas. We hope that this book is as well received as Maine to Texas, and does even more good work.

Area and Species Covered

�e species included are brackish and marine �shes that are encountered from the northern border of Alaska to the southern border of California. �is area generally extends from the intertidal zone to depths of about 660 feet (200 meters). We provide identi�cation and natural history information for most �shes we know to have stable populations within this range of coverage. �is includes all native and several non-native �shes that spend all or part of their adult lives in marine waters.

We also describe species that are predominantly freshwater inhabitants but are also found in low-salinity waters. For comprehensiveness, some deep-water species and their families are included. Rare species and those generally occurring below 660 feet have been mostly omitted. Other poorly documented species were excluded for lack of information such as specimen photographs or video clips for live color reference. Many of the �shes that occur from Alaska to California also occur at other, often distant, locations. Strays and waifs may be found in areas outside of the species’ typical range. Wherever possible, those locations are noted in the text. Most of the �shes found in the southern waters of the western United States also occur o� of Baja California and adjacent waters; thus the range map includes this broader area.

Names and Sequence of Species

�e Latin and common names of the families in this book follow those presented in Fishes of the World, fourth edition, by Joseph S. Nelson. �e common names of species are taken from Common and Scienti�c Names of Fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, seventh edition, published by the American Fisheries Society (AFS), Special Publication 34. With a few exceptions, Latin names, authority, and date follow Eschmeyer’s most recent online Catalog of Fishes. �e orders and families of �shes are organized in phylogenetic sequence following Fishes of the World. �e inclusion of Scaridae in Labridae and splitting of Serranidae and Epinephelidae follow the most recent research. Sequences of species within each family follow the alphabetical order of genus and species names, rather than the alphabetical order of common names, with Pipe�shes being the only exception. For example, the following Rock�shes are listed as:

Rougheye Rock�sh - Sebastes aleutianus Paci�c Ocean Perch - Sebastes alutus Kelp Rock�sh - Sebastes atrovirens

Preface

About �is Book

comprehensive, current, and compact �eld guide to �shes of the Paci�c northwest and as a companion to Fishes: From Maine to Texasreceived as

Area and Species Covered

Cyan Magenta Yellow Black

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Preface

�e �rst letter of each word in single- and multiple-word names is capitalized, except after a hyphen, unless that word requires capitalization as a proper noun. �is is in accordance with recent changes adopted by the American Fisheries Society and as published in Common and Scienti�c Names of Fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, seventh edition, Special Publication 34, AFS. Although we elected to use the most recently accepted AFS common names for the individual species, other commonly used local names or those accepted by the Food and Agriculture Organization are also mentioned wherever possible. Whenever we encountered errors or con�icting information in regard to Latin or common names, we made appropriate corrections and inclusions based on the most recently published documentation.

Organization and Presentation

We have arranged this book into three primary sections: Introduction, Families, and Species. �ese sections are supported by supplemental materials, which include a glossary of terms, a list of additional resources, descriptions of rare species also in the area, and an index. �e Introduction provides an overview of the evolution, diversity, and features of �shes. It also includes information that will help the user identify �shes. Each family section describes, in concise terms, each of the 157 families of �shes that are found along the coast from Alaska to California. A printable Key to Families presented in this book is available online at www.press.jhu.edu. �e species section is the largest in this book and includes descriptions of 705 individual species, based on the most recently published scienti�c information available. An additional 34 rare species are described in the appendix. A condensed summary of range and habitat is provided for each species. To save room, names of states are abbreviated. For example, California reads: CA. North, South, East, and West are also sometimes abbreviated and read, respectively: N, S, E, W. �e biologic description provides a brief summary of the species’ behavior, diet, and/or ecology, where room allowed. �e depths provided are approximate maximum recorded depths, although many �shes may be more common at shallower depths. �e lengths given for each species are the approximate maximum recorded adult total length. Each account is accompanied by a large, full-color illustration of the species. Each �sh is shown in living color, as it would appear in hand, or at the surface in clear water. While no two �sh of the same species are exactly alike, the illustration intends to closely represent the species as one might observe it. Great care was taken to accurately portray the correct placement and proportion of anatomical features. All illustrations show the adult �sh unless otherwise noted. �e illustrations are presented in a "size relative" fashion, meaning those in the same genus and on the same page are shown at a size relative to the longest �sh in the genus. Juveniles can be much smaller than adults; they are shown larger than size relative for clarity. Each illustration provides identifying anatomical and color features. All are shown facing left or from above with all �ns displayed. �e only exception is the presentation of right-eyed �at�shes, which are shown facing right.


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http://www.press.jhu.edu

16

Introduction

Diversity and Classi cation

Fishes comprise the most diverse group of vertebrates on Earth. �ere are currently over 32,000 known living species of �shes and many thousands of others that have become extinct in the 500 million years since the early �sh ancestors �rst swam in the seas. Over 800 marine �sh species live along the northwest Paci�c coast of the United States, inhabiting bays, inlets, estuaries, rocky reefs, and rocky, sandy, and kelp-lined shores. �ese species range in size from the Whale Shark, which may grow to 50 feet, to the Arrow Goby, which as an adult grows to about 2.3 inches in length. Paci�c Northwest coastal �shes also include species that represent the most primitive of ichthyofauna—like the Paci�c Hag�sh—to the most highly evolved forms, such as the Balloon�sh.

�e scienti�c classi�cation of �shes is, and will likely always be, an ongoing process subject to debate and change as new information unfolds. However, many scientists divide �shes into �ve recognized classes: Myxini, the Hag�shes; Petromyzontida, the Lampreys; Chondrichthyes, the Cartilaginous Fishes; Actinopterygii, the Ray-�nned Fishes; and Sarcopterygii, the Lobe-�nned Fishes. Of these �ve classes only the Lobe-�nned Fishes do not occur along the western United States.

�e table below shows how three representative �shes are classi�ed in the three classes that occur along the western United States:

Paci c Hag sh Whale Shark Southern Cling shKingdom: Animalia Animalia AnimaliaPhylum: Chordata Chordata ChordataClass: Myxini Chondrichthyes ActinopterygiiOrder: Myxiniformes Orectolobiformes PerciformesFamily: Myxinidae Rhincodontidae GobiesocidaeGenus: Eptatretus Rhincodon RimicolaSpecies: stoutii typus dimorpha

�e “jawless” �shes—Hag�shes and Lampreys—are truly primitive. �ey lack true jaws, do not have paired �ns, and exhibit a simple, cartilaginous skeletal structure. �ey have a single nostril located on the top of the head. �eir form of locomotion is simple and eel-like. �e simplicity of the jaws in this class of �shes limits them to rasping prey. However, this characteristic has not prohibited them from succeeding. �rough scavenging and parasitizing, jawless �shes have survived, evolved, and prospered for hundreds of millions of years.

�e Cartilaginous �shes of the Class Chondrichthyes—the familiar sharks, skates, and rays as well as the less familiar chimaeras—are more structurally advanced than jawless �shes, even while lacking true bones. �ey have true jaws, and their nostrils are located on both sides of the head, generally under the snout. �e skull and jaws are constructed of large single units, rather than multiple pieces as seen in the Ray-�nned Fishes. Cartilaginous Fishes lack a swim bladder and most rely on large oily livers for buoyancy. Unlike jawless �shes, they possess paired �ns: the pectoral and pelvic �ns.


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Another di�erentiating feature is that all cartilaginous species practice internal fertilization and the females produce either egg cases or live young.

�e largest and most diverse class of �shes is, by far, the familiar Ray-�nned �shes of the Class Actinopterygii. �is group possesses a bony, rather than cartilaginous, skeleton. Like the Cartilaginous �shes, bony �shes also possess true jaws. However, their jaws are composed of many small bones rather than large cartilaginous units. �e skull is also a complex structure of small bones. �e wide array of jaw and tooth types in this class has spawned a large variety of feeding systems, including biting, crushing, �lter-feeding, sucking, picking, and scraping. Nostrils are found on the upper part of both sides of the head. Bony �shes usually have swim bladders, many of which are complex in structure. �ey also possess paired �ns, but in some the pectoral and pelvic �ns may be absent. �eir methods of reproduction are wide and varied.

Adaptations to Life in Water

Living completely submerged in water presents a host of challenges. Fishes need to regulate the amount of salt and water in their bodies and extract dissolved oxygen from the water. �eir senses are adapted to aquatic life. Beyond the basics of sight and smell, most �shes have a lateral line, a sensory organ that is highly developed to detect the minutest motions in the water. Fishes have also developed many ways to communicate with each other under water. Some grind their pharyngeal teeth, while others grunt by manipulating the air bladder. Some �shes have light-producing organs that they may use to locate each other or attract prey in the darkness.

Water can be over 900 times more dense than air. Many �shes cruise through this dense solution by undulating the body, caudal peduncle, and tail to create forward thrust. Others move by �apping, fanning, or sculling the �ns. Eels move much like snakes, winding their way through the water and over the bottom. Skates undulate their pectoral-�n lobes, whereas rays �ap them. Many �shes have developed ingenious forms of locomotion. Searobins "crawl" across the bottom by "walking" with their free pectoral-�n rays. Remoras, while able to swim freely, have an adapted dorsal �n that forms a suction disk. �is disk allows the Remora to "hitch a ride" on its host. Some �shes hardly swim at all. �e Grunt Sculpin spends most of its life hopping and crawling along high-energy, wave-swept rocky bottoms.

Identifying Fishes

All �shes change shape and most change color as they develop. Juveniles can be drastically di�erent from their adult counterparts. Adults of the same sex and species often have subtle di�erences. Numerous �shes are sexually dimorphic, meaning males and females are di�erent in color and form. Many �shes change color and pattern depending on the time of day, time of migration, diet, depth, mood, or breeding phase. Some change color when they are hunting; others change color to appear intimidating. In addition, almost every �sh changes color when it is caught, when it is in distress, or after it has died.

Introduction


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Introduction

Depending on the subject at hand, identi�cation can be an easy or daunting task. Some species of �shes are so unique that they do not resemble any other and are thus easy to identify. Others are so similar in appearance that only subtle nuances distinguish one from another. Even though the variety and changes in the color of �shes is great, observed colors and patterns are the most common tools used for identi�cation.

Below are several examples of commonly observed color patterns in Paci�c coast �shes.

dark lines radiatingfrom eyes

alternating pale and dark bars

dark blotch on pectoral-�n base

dark speckles

mottled pattern

spots forming oblique bars

dark saddle

irregular spots and blotches

eye spot

dark, wavy stripes

banded pectoral �n

large, dark ocellated spot

vermiculating pattern

dark spots forming stripes along scales

banded caudal �n

rosettes


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Banded Guitar�sh

Diamond Stingray

Leopard Shark

Longnose Skate

Introduction

When a �sh is not identi�able by either color or pattern, the �sh’s anatomy can help to secure an identi�cation. Shape, size, and placement of anatomical features vary from one species to the next and thus distinguish one from another. �e following illustrations show the primary external features of several cartilaginous and bony �shes that are commonly used as tools for identi�cation.

Cartilaginous Fishes

snout (blunt)

spiracle

pectoral-�n lobe(bluntly rounded)

pelvic �ntail

barb

skin fold

thorns

Leopard SharkLeopard Shark

�rst dorsal �n

anal �n

second dorsal �n upper caudal-�n lobe

notch

pelvic �n

pectoral �n

snout

lower caudal-�n lobe

gill slitsspiracle

thornsthornsthorns

dorsal �ns

pectoral-�n lobe (bluntly pointed)

tail (thorny)

convex margin (

concave margin (pelvic �n (bilobed)

snout (pointed)

clasper (male)

nuchal thorns

snout (pointed)

pectoral-�n lobe

pelvic �n (straight margin)

dorsal �ns caudal �ntail

scapular thorns


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Bigeye Trevally

Bonyhead Sculpin

Stone Scorpionfish

Bonyhead SculpinBonyhead Sculpin

Bony Fishes

fleshy tabs

dorsal-fin spine

caudal fin nape

pectoral-fin base anal-fin raypelvic fin

opercular spine

pelvic fin pectoral fin (elongate)

scutes

first dorsal fin (short-based)second dorsal fin (long-based)

caudal fin (forked)

lateral line

preopercle

nape

snout

pelvic fin

Redtail Surfperch

preopercular corner

tallest dorsal-fin spine

scales on anal-fin base

scales on dorsal-fin base

caudal fin (slightly forked)

anal fin

first dorsal fin (spiny)

caudal peduncle

band of oblique scale rows

second dorsal fin (soft)

maxilla

spiny knob

Introduction

dorsal-fin ray

anal-fin spine

preopercular spine

cirrus

lateral line

snout

opercle

tallest dorsal-fin ray

notch

opercular margin


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Lengths and proportions will also help in di�erentiating one �sh from another. Total lengths are used in this book. To determine total length, measure from the tip of the snout or the tip of the lower jaw to the tip of the caudal �n. If the caudal �n is forked, press the upper and lower tips toward each other. �e lengths provided in the accounts give the reader a general idea of how big a species may become. �e illustration below shows positions of speci�c identifying features and indicates lengths and depth.

�e overall shape of a �sh’s body can also help in identi�cation. Shapes of the �shes presented in this book are in pro�le, as a �sh would appear from the side. Proportions of a �sh’s depth relative to its length are important identi�ers. A �sh is said to be "deep-bodied" when the measurement of depth is great relative to length, such as in the Popeye Catalufa. A �sh is said to be elongate when its depth is small relative to length, such as in the Longnose Lancet�sh. Some examples of pro�le are shown below.

deep-bodied oblong similar upper & lower pro�les

elongate elongate and tapering eel-like

Introduction

abdomen

�n origin

preopercular margin

opercular margin

chest

�n margin

�n base

�n lobe

upper lobe

lower lobe

midline

�n tip

preopercularcorner

pectoral-�n base

body

dep

th

snout length

total length

�n margin

�n base

�n lobe


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�e cross-sectional shape of a �sh is the shape of the body as it appears head on. A �sh that is �attened from side to side is said to be laterally compressed. A �sh that is �attened from top to bottom is described as �attened or depressed. Below are some simpli�ed cross-sectional views.

round oval laterally �attened/ compressed depressed

Sometimes it is necessary to go further and count spines, rays, or scales to determine the identity of a �sh. When counting spines and rays, the norm is to count anteriorly (front) to posteriorly (toward tail). Even if a spine is very small or directed forward, it is still counted. Additionally, if the last ray on the dorsal or anal �n is split to a uni�ed base, it is still counted as a single ray.

�ere are times when lateral-line scales need to be counted. �ese are counted from the �rst pored, lateral-line scale behind the opercle to the last pored scale that corresponds to the crease in the caudal peduncle when the caudal �n is moved from side to side. At other times, scales above the lateral line are counted. �ese are counted from the highest arch of the lateral line diagonally backward to the base of the dorsal �n.

�e habitat, geographic area, and depth range may also help in identi�cation. For example, the blue-sided and blue-blotched forms of Blue Rock�sh, Sebastes mystinus, have very similar appearances and features. However, their ranges barely overlap. When using depth as an identi�er, it should be noted that many recorded depths are those taken by trawl or line. �ese records re�ect the deepest point of the trawl or line and not necessarily the deepest level at which a �sh may swim. Depth records may also re�ect seasonal migrations or the preferred depth of juveniles or adults.

spiny portion soft portion

�rst dorsal-�n spine

�n base

notch �rst branched ray

lastbranched ray

last dorsal-�n spine

Introduction


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Introduction

Conservation

Many people have devoted countless hours to the conservation of our precious marine environments. It cannot be overstated how important it is to reduce, and possibly reverse, the harm due to run-o�, pollution, destruction of habitat, and over�shing. If each person takes one small step toward conservation and preservation, the overall a�ect could be tremendous.

Many �shes included in this book are currently �reatened or Endangered. �e IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of �reatened Species contains an evaluation of the extinction risk of global plants and animals. �is information plays a signi�cant role in guiding conservation activities and serves to monitor changes in the conservation status of species. Of the many �sh species that are monitored, sharks are one of the most vulnerable. �ey have been heavily exploited and are largely misunderstood and misrepresented. Sharks grow slowly, have a long gestational period, and do not produce a large quantity of o�spring. �erefore, it is very di�cult for them to recover from the depletion they have su�ered.

On the positive side, there are several examples of population recovery due to conservation. One is the Giant Sea Bass. �is enormous �sh was severely over�shed in the early 1900s. California passed legislation to prohibit taking this �sh (with few exceptions) in 1981, and Mexico protected it in 1992. While it has made signi�cant recovery, it is still listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. �e White Seabass was also in severe decline until laws restricted recreational catches and prohibited gill-netting this �sh. Aided by captive breeding, this �sh is now listed as Least Concern.

We encourage our readers to educate themselves about the �shes they encounter. Most �shes have defense mechanisms meant to protect them from other �shes. Many �shes will defend themselves if threatened. A venomous �sh would rather be left alone than use its precious venom. We also encourage our readers to

· Handle �shes gently. · Please respect seasonal and catch limits. · Obtain proper permits and licenses, as many states use sales revenues to fund

conservation and enforcement. · Do not release non-native �shes into any open body of water. · Whenever possible, practice catch-and-release and respirate the �sh before

releasing it back into the water. · Release native live bait back into the water. · Dispose of waste properly. · Anchor in designated areas. · Participate in �sheries management by reporting tagged �shes.· Use circle hooks to help prevent the �sh from swallowing the hook.

In short, if we care for �shes and their environment, they will be here in the future for us and future generations to admire.


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about ˇis book area and species covered · about ˇis book we developed this book to ful˜ll the...

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