Fish

Yelloweye Rockfish

SalishSeaFriend — Mon, 16 May 2011 22:27:10 +0000

Fish

Sebastes ruberrimus

The Yelloweye rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus) is a rockfish of the genus Sebastes, and one of the biggest members of the genus. Its name derieves from its coloration. It is also known as the "red snapper." As they grow older, they change in color, from reddish in youngness, to bright orange in adulthood, to pale yellow in old age. Yelloweye live in rocky areas and feed on small fish and other rockfish. They reside in the East Pacific and range from Baja California to Prince William Sound in Alaska.

Identification

Size & Shape:

The Yelloweye rockfish is colored red on its back, orange to yellow on the sides, and black on the fin tips. Its young are typically under 28 cm (11 in) in length, and differ from the adults in that they have two reddish-white stripes along their belly, and are often red. Because of the distinct difference in coloration between juveniles and adults, they were considered separate species for a long time. Its head spines are exceptionally strong. They grow to a maximum length of 36 in (0.9 m) and are typically found in the 28-to-215-fathom (51 to 393 m) range, although specimen have been reported up to a maximum depth of 260 fathoms (475 m).

Life History

Did you know?:

Yelloweye rockfish live to be extremely old, even for their unusually long-lived genus. They average 114 to 120 years of age; the oldest ones reach as much as 147 years.

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DiscoverYourOcean

Tiger Rockfish

Linda Funk — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:42:18 +0000

Fish

Sebastes nigrocinctus

Tiger rockfish are also known as the "black-banded rockfish". "Sebastes" means "magnificent", and "nigrocinctus" means "black" and "girdle" in Latin.

Identification

Size & Shape:

Tiger rockfish can grow up to 60 cm in length. They have a down-turned mouth, and a dorsal fin with spines.

Distinctive Markings:

Tiger rockfish have a red or pink body with five dark black or red stripes.

Behavior:

These rockfish are a reclusive species that likes to hide in crevices.

Life History

Habitat:

Tiger rockfish are found in the waters up to 300 m deep from Alaska to Southern California. They prefer steep rock faces with many crevices to hide in.

Reproduction:

In Alaska, females spawn from February - June, peaking around April.

Did you know?:

Tiger rockfish eat bottom-dwellers, like shrimp, crab, amphipods and other fishes.

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Linda Funk

Pacific spiny lumpsucker

eaglejo — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 20:33:18 +0000

Fish

Cyclopteridae

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Coho salmon

honeycomb — Wed, 19 May 2010 00:15:18 +0000

Fish

Oncorhynchus kisutch

Coho salmon can be silver, hooknose, blueback. They are notorious for their wild, fast and erratic fight, frequently punctuated by acrobatic leaps out of the water. Coho are a bright silver in colour, with a white mouth and white gums at the base of the teeth. They have a silver tail with spots and a wide base.

Identification

Distinctive Markings:

Coho are a bright silver in colour, with a white mouth and white gums at the base of the teeth. They have a silver tail with spots and a wide base.

Behavior:

Coho salmon are notorious for their wild, fast and erratic fight, frequently punctuated by acrobatic leaps out of the water.

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ryanlabelle

Decorated Warbonnet

mysalishsea — Wed, 12 May 2010 21:21:49 +0000

Fish

Chirolophis decoratus

Who Am I

Kingdom:

Animali

Phylum:

Chordata

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Grunt Sculpin

mysalishsea — Wed, 12 May 2010 21:05:04 +0000

Fish

Rhamphocottus richardsonii

Who Am I

Kingdom:

Animali

Phylum:

Chordata

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mysalishsea

Chinook Salmon

mysalishsea — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 21:23:58 +0000

Fish

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

HABITAT:
Freshwater streams and estuaries provide important habitat for chinook salmon

DIET:
Chinook salmon feed on terrestrial and aquatic insects, amphipods, and other crustaceans while young, and primarily on other fish when older

PREDATORS:
Resident Killer Whales

Identification

Size & Shape:

Chinook salmon weigh between 1.5 - 30 kg.

Distinctive Markings:

During the marine phase of a chinook's life, it has black gums, a lightly spotted blue-green back, and a silver spotted, V-shaped tail.

Behavior:

After hatching, chinook remain in fresh water for varying lengths of time, depending on water temperature. In southern areas, some migrate after three months in fresh water while others may remain for up to a year. In northern areas, most chinook spend at least a year in fresh water. These fish are known to migrate vast distances and are found sparsely distributed throughout the Pacific Ocean. The age of chinook adults returning to spawn varies from two to seven years. Many river systems have more than one stock of chinook, some even having spring, fall and winter runs.

Life History

Habitat:

Chinook salmon live in rivers, streams and coastal waters.

Conservation:

Mortality of chinook salmon in the early life stages is usually high due to natural predation and human induced changes in habitat, such as siltation, high water temperatures, low oxygen conditions, loss of stream cover and reductions in river flow. These impacts are primarily caused by poor forestry practices, dams, and water diversions. Estuaries and their associated wetlands provide vital nursery areas for the chinook prior to its departure to the open ocean. Wetlands not only help buffer the estuary from silt and pollutants, but also provide important feeding and hiding areas. The draining and filling of wetlands and the pollution of the estuary from industrial discharges and run-off, negatively impact chinook salmon.

Reproduction:

Chinook lay their eggs in deeper water with larger gravel, and need cool water with good flow (to supply oxygen) to survive.

Did you know?:

Chinook salmon are known as piscivorous, meaning that they eat other fish.

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Photos:

Who Am I

Kingdom:

Animali

Phylum:

Chordata

Class:

Actinopterygii

Order:

Salmoniformes

Family:

Salmonidae

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Chinook salmon may spend between 1 to 8 years in the ocean before returning to their natal streams to spawn.

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