Category: Misc.

Pacific Glasseye

Phylum: Chordata — Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish)— Order: Perciformes (perch like)— Family: Priacanthidae  (bigeyes or catalufas)— Genus: Heteropriacanthus (Fitch and Crooke, 1984) Species:   Heteropriacanthus carolinus  (Cuvier, 1829); from  the Greek heteros (different), prion (saw), and akantha (thorn) and the Latin carolinus (in reference to geographic…

Largemouth Blenny

Phylum: Chordata — Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish) — Order: Perciformes (perch like)— Family: Labrisomidae  (blennies) — Genus: Labrisomus Species: Labrisomus xanti (T. N. Gill, 1860); from the Greek words labrax (a fish) and soma (body), and xanti (meaning unclear). Alternate Names: Rock Blenny. Commonly found…

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…

Salema

Grunts: Family Haemulidae Species: Xenistius californiensis (Steindachner, 1876); from xenitius (strange sail, in allusion to the dorsal fin) and californiensis (in reference to California as a geographic area). Alternate Names: Bass, big eye, big eye bass, striped bass and lima perch. In Mexico called salema,…

California Needlefish

Needlefishes: Family Belonidae Species: Strongylura exilis (Girard, 1854); from strongylura (meaning round tail) and exilis (meaning slender). Alternate Names: Garfish, pike needlefish, billfish. Called agujón bravo de California or agujón Californiano in Mexico. Identification: Jaws form a long, pointed needle-like beak with many sharp teeth; body…

Finescale Triggerfish

Triggerfishes and Filefishes: Family Balistodae Species: Balistes polylepis (Steindachner, 1876); Balistes comes from the Latin word ballista (a device that shoots arrows—referring to the trigger-like spine) and the Greek word polylepis (many scales) Alternate Name: Triggerfish. In Mexico called cochi, puerco coche, cochito or pez…

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,…

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…