Giant Kelpfish

Kelpfishes and Fringeheads: Family Clinidae Species: Heterostichus rostratus (Girard, 1854); from the Greek words heter (different) and ost (extra bone), and the Latin word rostratus (beaked or hooked). Alternate Names: Kelpfish, eel, iodine fish, butterfish, and kelp blenny. Called sargacero gigante in Mexico. Identification: The…

Garibaldi

Damselfishes: Family Pomacentridae Species: Hypsypops rubicundus (Girard, 1854); from the Greek word hypsypops (high area below the eye) and the Latin word rubicunda (red). Alternate Names: Golden perch, ocean sunfish and ocean goldfish. In Mexico called jaqueta garibaldi. As for the name garibaldi, it apparently…

California Yellowtail

Jacks, Amberjacks and Pompanos: Family Carangidae Species: Seriola dorsalis (Valenciennes, 1833); from the Italian word seriola (for amberjack) and dorsalis (the long dorsal fin). Some sources now use Seriola lalandi. Scientists now feel there are three yellowtail species—Seriola dorsalis, Seriola aureovittata (northwest Pacific), and Seriola…

Cortez Bonefish

Bonefish caught at the Balboa Pier Bonefishes: Family Albulidae Species: Albula gilberti (Pfeiler & Van der Heiden, 2011). Previously referred to as Albula vulpes and “Albula sp. A.” From the Latin Albula (meaning fox). Alternate Names: Bonefish, ladyfish, mullet, silver ghost, silver shuttle, sanducha and…

Common Thresher Shark

Thresher taken at the Goleta Pier by Big Red Thresher Sharks: Family Alopiidae Species: Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre, 1788); from the Greek word alopos and Latin word vulpes, (both meaning fox). Alternate Names: Thresher, blue thresher, longtail shark, swiveltail, fox shark, sea fox, fish shark, sea…

Sargo

Grunts: Family Haemulidae Species: Anisotremus davidsonii (Steindachner, 1876); from the Greek word anisotremus (unequal aperture, in reference to the pores on the chin), and davidsonii (for George Davidson, a 19th Century astronomer at the California Academy of Sciences). Alternate Names: China croaker, black croaker, blue…

Starry Flounder

Righteye Flounders: Family Pleuronectidae Species: Platichthys stellatus (Pallas, 1787); from the Greek words platy (flat) and ichthys (fish) and the Latin word stellatus (starry). Alternate Names: Rough-jacket, great flounder, grindstone, emery flounder, emerywheel, leatherjacket, English sole, sand paper flounder, diamondback, long-jaw flounder, California flounder, swamp…

Diamond Turbot

Righteye Flounders: Family Pleuronectidae Species: Hypsopsetta guttulata (Girard 1856); from the Greek word hypsopsetta (deep flounder, referring to the oval shape) and the Latin word guttulata (with small spots). Alternate Names: Turbot or diamond flounder. Called platija diamante in Mexico. Identification: Diamond turbot are (surprise,…

Walleye Surfperch

Surfperches/Seaperches: Family Embiotocidae Species:  Hyperprosopon argenteum (Gibbons, 1854); from the Greek root words hyper (above) and prosopon (face, from the upward direction of the face) and the Latin word argenteum (silvery). Family Embiotocidae, subfamily Amphistichinae. Alternate Names: Silver perch, white perch, surf fish, bigeye perch,…

Broadnose Sevengill Shark

Species: Notorynchus cepedianus (Perón, 1807); from the Greek roots noto (back) and r(h)ynchos (snout); and the Latin cepidianus (spotted).   Alternate Names: Sevengill shark, cow shark, spotted cow shark, mud shark, bluntnose shark, broad-snout, sevengill, k’wet’thenéchte (Salish, British Columbia), and my personal favorite (from Australia)…