THREE INTERESTING FISHES

 SHINER SURFPERCH

This fish, known as Cymatogaster aggregate, is the most abundant surf-perch along the west coast from Alaska to Baja California, Mexico. They can live up to nine years and are shallow-water dwellers that like to “hang around” piers and pilings.” They can live in kelp beds, bays, estuaries, and they can even tolerate brackish water. They are commonly used as bait for fishermen trying to catch larger marine fish. Some people eat these surf-perches because of their mild, white tasty flesh. 

These common fish usually are silvery color with yellow vertical bars crossed by dark stripes. They are typically small size (about 8 inches length) but can be up to 14 inches long and weight about four pounds. Some individuals can be almost solid black.

These fish live in "schools" and eat small crustaceans and other invertebrates. Females give birth to live young, rather than laying eggs.

    Classification

Kingdom Animalia

Phlyum Vertebrata

Class Pisces

Order

Family

Genus Cymatogaster

Type Species 

Figure 1. “Shinner Surfperch” [Cymatogaster aggregate]; this specimen 8 inches (20 cm) length. Image via the Aquarium of the Pacific in southern California.

___________________________________

THE YELLOWTAIL DAMSELFISH

The generalized (common name) of “Damsel Fish” includes several different subfamilies of fish are mostly found in tropical oceans, especially in the Indo-Pacific region (including Indonesia and the Philippines). A few species can even live in brackish or fresh water.

The specific damselfish that is the focus of this blog post is Chrysiptera parasema, also known as the yellowtail damselfish. This fish prefers to live “schools” in sheltered lagoons and inshore coral-reef areas. They like depths between 3 to 50 feet deep. 

Juveniles of this fish initially have bright yellow color. When the fish becomes an adult, the coloration of this fish shifts to a vibrant blue color over all of the body, except for the tail (=caudal fin), which remains vibrant yellow. Adults can be up to 12 inches long.

  Classification

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata

Class Actinopterygii

Order Blenniiformes

FamilyPomacentridae

Genus Chrysiptera 

Type Species C. parasema

Figure 2. The yellowtail damselfish via the Aquarium of the Pacific in Los Angeles, California.

_____________________________________________________

                                                            

THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA STEELHEAD FISH

This is an endangered species, and there needs to be the immediate removable and/or modification of man-made structures that interfere with this fish’s migration to and from the ocean. If these modifications are not done, then the future of this fish is in great jeopardy. (see www.nmfs.noaa.gov and search the kewords “southern California steelhead.”

The upper elevations are where adults of this fish spawn eggs (in gravel). These eggs eventually hatch, and young fish develop. At the age of about 4 years, these young fish migrate into the ocean (at least theoretically), but man-made dams, etc. interfere with these migrations).

Figure 3. Southern California Steelhead fish.

Image via the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Reference For All the Above Fishes:

Wikipedia, 2026