Spotted Sand Bass aka Bay Bass

  Species: Paralabrax maculatofasciatus (Steindachner, 1868); from the Greek words para (near) and labrax (a European bass), and the Latin words maculato (spotted) and fasciatus  (banded). Alternate Names: Commonly called bay bass, spotted bay bass, spotted bass, rock bass, red spotted rock bass, spotted, spotty,…

Barred Sand Bass

Sea Basses: Family Serranidae Species: Paralabrax nebulifer (Girard, 1854); from the Greek words para (near) and labrax (a European bass), and the Latin words nebul (smoke or dark) and fer (to bear), in reference to the color on their sides. Alternate Names: Commonly called sand…

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…

Soupfin Shark

Smoothhounds: Family Triakididae Species: Galeorhinus zyopterus (Linnaeus, 1758); from the Greek words galeos (a kind of shark), rhinos (nose or snout), zuon, (animal) and pteron (fin-large pectoral fin). Alternate Names: Tope, oil shark, vitamin shark, snapper shark. Called tiburón aceitoso in Mexico. Identification: They have…

Round Stingray

Stingrays: Family Dasyatididae Species: Urobatis halleri (Cooper, 1863); Urobatis comes from two Greek words meaning tail and ray; halleri is from George Haller (1852-1889). Alternate Names: Stingray, stingaree or stinger. Called raya de espina, raya redonda común, or raya redonda de aguijón in Mexico. Called…

Pacific Spiny Dogfish

Dogfish Sharks: Family Squalidae Species: Squalus suckleyi; from the Latin word squalus (shark) and suckleyi honoring George Suckley (1830-1869), a naturalist and Civil War surgeon OR Squalus acanthias (Linnaeus, 1758); from the Latin word squalus (shark) and the Greek word akanthias (spines). Pick A or B—but…

Thornback Ray

Thornbacks: Family Platyrhinidae Species: Platyrhinoidis triseriata (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880); from the Greek words platys (flat and broad), rhin (shark with a rough skin), oid (like) and is (similar), and the Latin words tri (three) and seriat (rows, in reference to the three rows of…

Big Skate

Skates: Family Rajidae Species: Raja binoculta (Grard, 1855); from the Latin words raja (skate), bi (two), and oculata (eyed, referring to the markings on top of the skate). Alternate Names: Skate, barndoor skate, and Pacific great skate. Called raya gigante or raya bruja gigante in…

Pacific Angel Shark

Pacific Angel Sharks: Family Squatinidae Species: Squatina californica (Ayres, 1859); from the Latin squatina (an ancient name for a related Mediterranean species) and californica (describing where the fish was first caught). Alternate Names: Angel shark, monkfish, squat and squato. Called angelote or tiburón angel in Mexico.…

Pacific Electric Ray

Electric Rays: Family Torpedinidae Species: Tetronarce californica; (Ayres, 1855); from the Greek word torpedo (for numbness—from the electric shock) and californica (for California, where the first specimens were taken). Formerly Torpedo californica. Alternate Names: Torpedo ray, numbfish, crampfish or torpedo. Called torpedo del Pacifico or torpedo…