Shiner perch
Encyclopedia
The shiner perch Cymatogaster aggregata is a common surfperch (Embiotocidae
) found in estuaries, lagoons, and coastal streams along the Pacific coast from Alaska
to Baja California
. It is the sole member of its genus.
Shiner perches are similar to tule perch
es, deep-bodied with a dusky greenish back and silvery sides that have a pattern combining fine horizontal bars with three broad yellow vertical bars. Breeding males turn almost entirely black, the barred pattern being obscured by dark speckles. Shiner perches are distinguished from tule perches by having fewer dorsal fin
spines, just 8-9 vs the 15-19 of the tule perch. The rayed part of the dorsal fin has 18 to 23 rays. The anal fin has 3 spines followed by 22-25 rays.
They are one of the most common fish in the bays and estuaries of their range, favoring beds of eelgrass
, and often accumulating around piers as well. They feed on zooplankton
such as copepod
s, but have been observed to bottom feed as well.
The first scientific description of the shiner perch was published in the same newspaper as the tule perch
; see that article for details.
Embiotocidae
The surfperches are a family, Embiotocidae, of perciform fishes. They are found in coastal waters of the northern Pacific and grow up to 45 cm long....
) found in estuaries, lagoons, and coastal streams along the Pacific coast from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
to Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
. It is the sole member of its genus.
Shiner perches are similar to tule perch
Tule perch
The tule perch Hysterocarpus traskii is a surfperch native to the rivers and estuaries of central California, United States of America. It is the sole member of its genus, and the only freshwater surfperch....
es, deep-bodied with a dusky greenish back and silvery sides that have a pattern combining fine horizontal bars with three broad yellow vertical bars. Breeding males turn almost entirely black, the barred pattern being obscured by dark speckles. Shiner perches are distinguished from tule perches by having fewer dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
spines, just 8-9 vs the 15-19 of the tule perch. The rayed part of the dorsal fin has 18 to 23 rays. The anal fin has 3 spines followed by 22-25 rays.
They are one of the most common fish in the bays and estuaries of their range, favoring beds of eelgrass
Zostera
Zostera is a small genus of widely distributed seagrass, commonly called marine eelgrass or simply eelgrass . The genus Zostera contains sixteen species.-Ecology:Zostera is found on sandy substrates or in estuaries submerged or partially floating...
, and often accumulating around piers as well. They feed on zooplankton
Zooplankton
Zooplankton are heterotrophic plankton. Plankton are organisms drifting in oceans, seas, and bodies of fresh water. The word "zooplankton" is derived from the Greek zoon , meaning "animal", and , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter"...
such as copepod
Copepod
Copepods are a group of small crustaceans found in the sea and nearly every freshwater habitat. Some species are planktonic , some are benthic , and some continental species may live in limno-terrestrial habitats and other wet terrestrial places, such as swamps, under leaf fall in wet forests,...
s, but have been observed to bottom feed as well.
The first scientific description of the shiner perch was published in the same newspaper as the tule perch
Tule perch
The tule perch Hysterocarpus traskii is a surfperch native to the rivers and estuaries of central California, United States of America. It is the sole member of its genus, and the only freshwater surfperch....
; see that article for details.