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. There is only one member in the genus Cymatogaster, the fish described herein, which is found in Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean. These perch have dusky greenish back and silvery sides that have a pattern combining horizontal bars with three broad yellow vertical bars. Length: 10.0 cm (3.9 inches). You find them by the hundreds around rocks, jetties and kelp beds. One species, the tule perch (Hysterocarpus traski), inhabits freshwater. Breeding males turn almost entirely black, the barred pattern being obscured by dark speckles. The shiner perch (Cymatogaster aggregata) is a common surfperch found in estuaries, lagoons, and coastal streams along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja California. Fish caught off the Municipal Wharf #2, Monterey, California, August 2012.

The Shiner Perch is found in heavily vegetated and structured shallow water bays and estuaries within eelgrass beds. During winter or periods of high river flow surf perch move to the ocean whereas they move into the estuary during the summer breeding season.

Copyright © 2001 - 2016 Fishing with Rod Production. The anal fin has 3 spines followed by 22–25 rays. These perch have dusky greenish back and silvery sides that have a pattern combining horizontal bars with three broad yellow vertical bars. This page was last edited on 6 April 2020, at 16:04. California Finfish and Shellfish Identification Book, Honoring the Ocean Around Mainland Los Angeles with the Los Angeles Marine Protected Area Collaborative, Upcoming Webinar to Introduce California Halibut Stock Assessment and Review Panel Findings, Tying Traditional Knowledge to Ocean Stewardship: The Del Norte Marine Protected Area Collaborative, Marine Protected Area Management News (PDFs), Vertical lemon yellow crossbars in the shape of the number “711”, Eight horizontal sooty lines along the sides, During courtship and breeding the males are dark gray, almost black in color, and have a black spot on each side of the snout, Much more slender than the similar island surfperch found in the Channel Islands. (2006). Post was not sent - check your email addresses! They are diurnal feeders, with juveniles consuming zooplankton, such as copepods, then transitioning to algae, crustaceans, and mollusks as they mature. Breeding males are black and covered with dark speckles. They are generally non-migratory, but will make seasonal inshore-offshore movements; they will move to deeper waters during the winter and pregnant females will move to shallow waters in the spring to give birth. 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T192929A15361992.en, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shiner_perch&oldid=949458460, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Shiner perches are similar to tule perches, deep-bodied with a dusky greenish back and silvery sides that have a pattern combining fine horizontal bars with three broad yellow vertical bars. Females carry the developing young until they mature. 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. The body of the shiner perch is an oval shape and is compressed from side to side. They are often found with parasitic isopods such as the Elthusa califronica feeding off of them from their opercular cavity of the gill chamber. Schools can often be spotted if they are present on a sunny day.

Breeding males turn almost entirely black, the barred pattern being obscured by dark speckles. Schools of shiner perch often inhabit within eelgrass or kelp beds, near pilings, piers or other submerged artificial structures. The shiner perch is commonly caught by children fishing from docks. They are silvery and have a dusky greenish back with fine horizontal bars and three broad yellow vertical bars on their sides. Look for surface activities. It is also used in public aquariums. The rayed part of the dorsal fin has 18 to 23 rays. Several vertical yellow stripes run across both sides of the body, often interspersed with black. Breeding males turn almost entirely black, obscuring the barred pattern with dark speckles. The most common surfperch found along the California coast, shiner surfperch typically live in loose aggregations in shallow waters of eelgrass beds, around pilings, piers, oil platforms, and in the back waters of bays and sloughs. Shiner perch can be caught almost anywhere along the shoreline during summer months. The Shiner Perch is straightforward to identify due to its elongated body profile and coloration and is therefore not easily confused with any other species. They use their pectoral fins rather than their caudal fin for swimming and flap their fins much like swimming penguins. This page was last edited on 6 April 2020, at 16:04. They are sold commercially on a limited basis. Breeding males turn almost entirely black, obscuring the barred pattern with dark speckles. Although exceedingly small, they are considered an excellent food fish. Bait that can be effective include shrimps, small pieces of fish flesh, small crabs, squid and dough. Mating takes place during the summer months, and the young are born the following spring and summer. Single copies of the book are available to California residents free of charge by emailing a request to publications@wildlife.ca.gov. Shiner perch is the smaller species in the surf perch family. Called minnow, shiner, or sparda by 19th century fishermen. Youngs mainly feed on copepods, while adults feed on larger preys such as mollusks, crustaceans and algae. Several vertical yellow stripes run across both sides of the body, often interspersed with black. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Shiner perch are distinguished by having 8-9 dorsal fin spines, and 18 to 23 dorsal rays. Length: 15.0 cm (6.0 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Kenneth Tse, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are more numerous in shallow areas. 27547).Lateral line slightly arched, complete (Ref.

Shiner perch are silver in colour, with up to eight longitudinal dark stripes from head to tail. Schools of shiner perch often inhabit within eelgrass or kelp beds, near pilings, piers or other submerged artificial structures.

The shiner perch (Cymatogaster aggregata) is a common surfperch found in estuaries, lagoons, and coastal streams along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja California. They are probably the fish most frequently caught by young anglers. Shiner perch eat mostly small crustaceans and other invertebrates. Our Story - Our Editors & Contributors - Our Supporters - Search Site - Our Facebook Page - Our Tweets - Our YouTube Channel, Our Services

All rights reserved. Dorsal spines (total): 8 - 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 19-22; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 22 - 25; Vertebrae: 33 - 37.Distinguished by the rather deep, compressed body, the large scales, and the three spines in the anal fin (Ref.

The Shiner Perch is straightforward to identify due to its elongated body profile and coloration and is therefore not easily confused with any other species. There are a number of ways to fish with shiners for each of these species which will be explained. For COVID-19-related closures, restrictions, and updates see the WDFW COVID-19/Coronavirus response page. Shiner perches are distinguished from tule perches by having fewer dorsal fin spines, just 8–9 vs the 15–19 of the tule perch. Shiner perches are distinguished from tule perches by having fewer dorsal fin spines, just 8–9 vs the 15–19 of the tule perch. They have fine black dots on their sides toward their head. The anal fin has 3 spines followed by 22–25 rays. Shiner perch may be caught from shore, docks, piers, rocks, and almost any other fishing area. Shiner Perch are a common fish in coastal areas and estuaries all along Oregon. Use small enough bait so the tip of the hook is exposed. Excerpt from the California Finfish and Shellfish Identification Book.

Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. They have elongated bodies with bright silver scales that have a more greenish tint along the top of the body.

They are found in waters with salinities ranging from 0-35 ppt, though shiner perch typically prefer a salinity of at least 10 ppt.At the mouth of a river, younger fish are found upstream of the older ones, as they have a greater tolerance for freshwater. In late summer, shiner perch are plentiful in the estuary Fraser River. They can be taken on almost any type of bait and any type of fishing equipment, from handlines to spinning gear, so long as the baited hook is small enough to fit in the fish’s mouth. The Shiner Perch is a resident of Mexican waters of the Pacific but has a limited distribution being found only from Bahia San Quintin, Baja California, northward along the northwest coast of Baja. Shiner Perch, Cymatogaster aggregata. Our privacy policy and terms & conditions. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. They feed on zooplankton such as copepods, but have been observed to bottom feed as well. A complex setup is not needed for shiner perch, therefore they are popular among kids in the summer. Shiner perch are rarely found in water with a temperature that exceeds 24-25°C. Shiner perch live in marine, bay, and estuarine environments. Maximum body length is around 20cm. They prefer bays around eelgrass beds, and the pilings of wharfs and piers. Their body is covered with large scales. Description: The body of the shiner perch is elongate oval and compressed. The Shiner Perch is a resident of Mexican waters of the Pacific but has a limited distribution being found only from Bahia San Quintin, Baja California, northward along the northwest coast of Baja. Alternate Names: Commonly called shiner; also 7-11 perch, leven perch, yellow perch, bay perch, yellow shiner. Their anal, pectoral, and pelvic fins are transparent; their caudal and dorsal fins are transparent to dusky. The Shiner Perch are of scientific interest as they are one of the 15% to 20% of all living fish that are labriform swimmers. Gestation lasts 5 to 6 months with each female producing 3 to 36 fry measuring 3.0 cm (1.2 inches) to 4.0 cm (1.6 inches); larger females produce larger litters. Their lateral line is slightly arched and complete. The head is short and the mouth is small. They have 28 to 33 gill rakers. 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T192929A15361992.en, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shiner_perch&oldid=949458460, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. These perch have dusky greenish back and silvery sides that have a pattern combining horizontal bars with three broad yellow vertical bars. They feed on zooplankton such as copepods, but have been observed to bottom feed as well. Their anal fin has 3 spines and 22 to 25 rays; their caudal fin is forked; and their dorsal fin is continuous with 8 to 11 spines and 19 to 22 rays. Seasonal movement from one area to another occurs. They are frequently observed around pier pilings nipping the appendages off of barnacles. They are very abundant in Burrard Inlet, Howe Sound, Gulf Islands, anywhere along the East and West Coast of Vancouver Island. Fish caught off the Coos Bay Pier, Coos Bay, Oregon, August 2009. They are able to tolerate a wide range of salinity. Shiner perch Conservation status. They reside in waters that range from 7oC (45oF) to 24oC (75oF) and are absent from waters above 25oC (77oF). They are especially popular among beginning anglers as they are abundant and easy to catch.