Identifying Features Known as “Ugliest creature identified,” the Smooth Dreamer has a massive head with a gigantic, crescent-shaped mouth that is filled with sharp, translucent teeth angled inwards to prevent prey from escaping. Smooth Dreamers have roughly 25-51 teeth in the upper jaw and 33-53 teeth in the lower jaw. They are a dark grey […]
Slimy Snailfish
Common Name: Slimy Snailfish
Scientific name: Liparis mucosus
Size: Slimy snailfish grow to at least 7cm (2.75 inches) in length.
Identifying features:
Slimy Snailfish (Liparis mucosus) do not have scales. Their bodies are shaped like a tadpole and they have a small tail. They also have dorsal fins that almost connect to their tail fin. These are an interesting looking fish with miniscule eyes and tiny teeth, combined with a long skinny body. Snailfish attach to the ground using a small sucking disk below their head. These fish don’t have a strict colouring. They can be found with and without patterns and vary in colour. They are mostly red, brown, pink, a greenish brown colour, and a yellowy green colour.
Habitat:
The Slimy Snailfish lives can be found in Alaska, the northeast Pacific, to southern British Columbia, Canada and down to Baja, Mexico. Depending upon the species, snailfish can live in shallow waters or up to 7500m deep.
Prey:
These Snailfish feed on small benthic crustaceans, mollusks, polychaete worms, and other small invertebrates. Snailfish will use their pelvic disk to attach to a rock while they wait patiently for something to swim by. They have sensory pores in their head and can feel vibrations when food is near. They eat by sucking in all of the water in front of them and filtering out the food.
Life cycle:
Snailfish lay only a few large eggs, being around 4.5-mm in size. The reason for this is so that their young develop properly; as well as being able to escape predators easier. The young Slimy Snailfish look more like a tadpole than the fully grown fish do. They lack a defined shape to there body and appear almost rod like.
Video by Amanda Brager and D. Young
Photos by D.Young
Rosy-Lip Sculpin
Common names: Rosy-lip Sculpin, Rosylip Sculpin, Rosy-lipped Sculpin
Scientific name: Ascelichthys rhodorus
Size range: from 2 cm (0.79 inches) to 15 cm (16 inches) long
verage.
Identifying features:
The eyes are black or dark and the body colour is mostly black, with white areas on the top of its body, the sides of its body, its top fin and its side fins. The lips are sometimes red as well as some red can be found on the spiny section of the dorsal fin. It has a dorsal fin the length from its head to its tail. Unlike most other sculpins, the Rosy-lip Sculpin has no pelvic fins. An interesting fact is that the Rosy-lip Sculpin is able to survive for several hours out of water on moist surfaces.
Habitat: Intertidal to 15 m (50 feet) from Alaska to California.
Behavior:
Sporadically it displays outgoing behavior but usually it remains shy and hidden. It does not interact with other fish. While observing one in our class aquarium it would return to the same area of the tank (under/behind algae and rocks) when it was not searching for food.
Prey:
The Rosy-lip sculpin is a bottom dweller so it eats food found near the bottom of the water it is in. Its favorite foods are octopus, worms, crab, squid, fish and shrimp, but it will eat anything it is able to. What eats it? The Rosy-lip Sculpin is luckily very adept at blending in with its surroundings, but sometimes it is out-smarted. It is eaten by animals who feed near the shore. These animals include larger fish, crabs, otters and shore birds such as Herons.
Life cycle:
Rosy-lip Sculpins may live for up to five years. Its life span is generally determined by its location and the types of predators in that location. It lays eggs in winter and spring each year. These eggs can be pink or green and may be found on rocks near the shore.
Photos by D. Young
Video by J. Mulhall, F. Moon-Macskimming, and D. Young
The Rockweed Gunnel
By Gabrielle Lepage and Angel Antonio (updates by Rex Sherratt and Ian Templeton)
Common Name: Rockweed Gunnel
Scientific Name: Xererpes fucorum
Size Range: 5-9 inches (12-23 cm)
Identifying Features: Rockweed Gunnels have eel-like bodies that are elongated, slender and compressed. They usually have no pelvic fins however if they are visible, they are usually very tiny. They are one solid uniform colour that is often green, yellow or red to camouflage in the algae. They tend to be brightly coloured fishes and their eyes are a striking bright yellow. They also have small circular scales that tend to be difficult to distinguish. Rockweed gunnels have small and conical teeth and their long dorsal fin has 75 to 100 flexible spines and is about twice the length of the anal fin.
Habitat: Rockweed Gunnels are found in tide pools, deep inshore areas or at the bottom of the sea with rocks or algae. Gunnels are also commonly found in coastal waters of northern seas. Many of them can be found anywhere from Vancouver Island BC (Canada), to Punta Escartada, Baja California. Currently, they are 11 species found in North America. Majority of the Gunnels tend to live in intertidal regions and shallow waters in the cold parts of the Northern hemisphere where they feed on their food.
Food: Rockweed Gunnels are carnivorous fish and feed on crustaceans, mollusks, algae or copepods which are found in the sea in nearly any fresh water habitat. They also eat oikopleura which are tadpole-like larvacean and any other marine invertebrates.
Predators: The likely predators of the Rockweed Gunnel are River Otters (Lontra canadensis), the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias), larger fish, and other marine birds such as gulls. The Staghorn Sculpin (Leptocottus armatus) is also another predator to the gunnels. Following the tides they enter eelgrass meadows and search for the gunnels below rocks or for other invertebrates buried under the mud. In order to hide from predators, gunnels tend to cover themselves underneath or between rocks and algae. The Rockweed Gunnel can survive out of water for 5 to 20 hours as long as it stays moist.
Life Cycle: Generally, Gunnels will lay eggs in the winter and coil around them in defense. The eggs are then deposited and left there without a mother to care for them. During the summer or spring, they are usually in large groups which travel through rockweed meadows where they hunt for crustaceans and molluscs.
Photography by Gabrielle Lepage, Rex Sherratt and Ian Templeton
Northern Clingfish
Author: Chloe Browett
COMMON NAME: The Northern Clingfish
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Gobiesox maeandricus
SIZE RANGE: Northern Clingfish are generally 3 inches (7.6 cm) in length but may grow up to 6 inches (15.2 cm). Most males are larger than the females.
IDENTIFYING FEATURES: The Northern Clingfish has an unusual shape. It is primarily round, has a slight flat or depressed head, and has a thin tail. It has two yellowish eyes that are far apart at the front of its head. The fish’s skin is smooth and usually olive brown in tone with small red, gray, or yellow spots. There are pectoral fins behind the dorsal fin which is located near the tail of the fish and an anal fin. Around the sucker disc (which acts as a suction cup) are pelvic fins.
HABITAT: The Northern Clingfish likes to stay low key and doesn’t like to be seen. It hides within seaweed and is often found stuck under rocks. It is also found in tidal pools or on rocky shores. The clingfish lives in the intertdial zone, which means that it lives within the low and high tides. The clingfish is often found among species of fish including gunnels, and sculpins.
FOOD: Like all animals the clingfish likes to eat what it can find, but it generally eats small crustaceans like shrimp and small mollusks. It may prey on limpets or chitors. Its mouth and sucker disk are adapted for hunting. While its prey (limpet) is on the rock it stays stable with its sucker disk and with its mouth pries the limpet off the rock. The clingfish is an aggressive feeder and in artificial habitat will quickly take food or bite your finger. Clingfish can be cannibals and they will eat their own kind.
PREDATORS: The clingfish blends in with its surroundings making it hard for predators to attack. However, at low tides, these fish cling to rocks which are over turned by gulls and raccoons that forage close to shore and eat them.
LIFE CYCLE: In the spring the mother clingfish lays her eggs under a rock that she thinks will be safe. Then the male comes along and squirts his sperms and voila most of the eggs are fertilized and you have baby clingfish. A baby clingfish starts off as small platonic larvae, and then it will begin developing. During this time the male protects the babies. Most often the babies will stay near the rocks even though they are very curious.
Illustration by Chloe Browett
Photographs by D. Young
Rock Prickleback
By David Freitas
Common Name: Rock Prickleback
Scientific Name: Xiphister mucosus
Identifying Features:
The Rock Prickleback is greenish-black in color with faint white markings around the base of its tail and light bands on its face. It is often confused with the Black Prickleback which has similar markings radiating from its eyes except they are generally solid black markings with a light border against a uniformily black body. The dorsal fin starts at the back of the head and goes down the length of the body merging with the caudal fin. The Rock Prickleback has very small pectoral fins and is lacking pelvic fins giving it a very eel-like appearance. They are called Pricklebacks because the dorsal fin is mostly composed of hard, spiny rays with sharp tips (the rays support the fleshy fins).
Behaviour:
The Rock Prickleback is very shy and likes to be near shelter (rocks, shells, vegetation, etc.). Without shelter the Rock Prickleback will feel very nervous and exposed. They will swim to the nearest shelter if the cover is removed.
Habitat:
The Rock Prickleback lives in rocky areas mostly on the exposed coast with moderate waves. It is able to stay out of water for 17-23 hours on land if it is kept moist. The Rock Prickleback is found from south-eastern Alaska to southern California.
Food:
The Rock Prickleback eats mostly algae, but also eats small fish and crustaceans. Will also eat small chopped up fish or mussels in captivity.
Predators:
Likely predators would be various shore birds, raccoons, and river otters.
Life Cycle:
The female Rock Prickleback lays her eggs in clumps under rocks and vegetation then the male coils up around the eggs and guards them until they hatch. The Rock Prickleback spawns late-winter to spring in BC and October to December in California. The Rock Prickleback takes 4-5 years to reach maturity and can live up to 11 years. The Rock Prickleback breaths air.
High Cockscomb Prickleback
By Ravana Eagleheart
Common Name: High Cockscomb
Scientific Name: Anoplarchus purpurescens
Size Range: The High Cockscomb usually grows to just over 7 inches (almost 20cm.) in length.
Identifying Features: On the High Cockscomb, there are no pelvic fins, or if there are they are so small they are hardly noticeable. They have small pectoral fins that are usually used for balance. There is a fleshy crest above the back of the head, and the dorsal fin runs along the back from behind the head to, but not into, the tail fin. As a general rule, females grow faster then males do.
Habitat: The High Cockscomb lives in many areas ranging from Alaska to California. They live in the intertidal zone, usually between 10ft below and the surface, but they can go as deep as 30m, or in tidal pools. They can remain out of water for about 15 hours if they are kept moist. They tend to live on gravel or crushed shell as their floor. They inhabit areas from Alaska to California. In BC, they have commonly been found at the mouth of the Fraser River, around Saturna Island, and around Vancouver and Southern Vancouver Island.
Food: The High Cockscomb will eat a wide variety of foods; the most important part of their diet is green algae, but they will eat other things too such as Gammarid Amphipods (shrimp-like shaped amphipods) crabs, worms, plants, green algae and eel grass. They eat these things through their mouth.
Predators: The High Cockscomb is likely to be preyed on by types of snakes, sea birds, sea otters, and raccoons. It avoids being eaten by hiding under rocks, seaweed, or other things in tidal pools to avoid being seen.
Life Cycle: During the mating season, which is January-March, the male will develop an orange color on the pectoral and anal fins, and a red color on the dorsal fins. Before mating takes place, the males will fight by biting each other to see who will mate with the female. The eggs are then laid underneath or between rocks and shells, and the females will have full responsibility for the eggs. For about 29 days the female will fan and guard the eggs until they hatch. Upon hatching, the young are left to their own defenses, and they must find their own way to survive.
Crescent Gunnel
Common Name: Crescent Gunnel
Scientific Name: Pholis laeta
Size Range: 25cm (10 inches)
Identifying Features: Crescent Gunnels may be dark, olive green to a very bright orange. They have a series of distinct cresent shaped markings along their dorsal surface that may be white to ivory in colour and are often outlined in black. The individual we have in our aquarium has a very long body with a small head. Its coloring is yellowish-green, darker on the dorsal surface, and has black, crescent-shaped markings with a light color inside of them. These markings are in a series along the base of its dorsal fin. These creatures are common along the beaches of Victoria, B.C.
Habitat: The Crescent Gunnel can be found between the Aleutian Islands and Northern California. However, it is more common throughout British Columbia. It lives 30 to 40 fathoms (55 to 73 meters) beneath the surface. It can also be found in intertidal areas and underneath rocks protected by seaweed.
Food: The Crescent Gunnel mostly feeds on crustaceans, molluscs, and marine worms. Juvenile crescent gunnels feed on harpacticoid copepods which are a type of benthic copepod.
Predators: The predators of the Crescent Gunnel are marine birds, large fishes, and mammals. Some examples of creatures that feed on them would be the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias), the Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus columba), the River Otter (Lontra canadensis), the Mink (Mustela vison), and sub tidal fishes.
Life Cycle: An adult Crescent Gunnel matures when it reaches 10 cm in length. Females lay a large amount of eggs (about 600 to 1600) in mid-January. Adult Crescent Gunnels usually guard their eggs, although sometimes their eggs are left unguarded. The eggs hatch after about 2 months. The larvae are planktonic when they hatch. The life span of the Crescent Gunnel is 6 years.
Photos by D. Young
Grunt Sculpin
Common name: Grunt Sculpin
Scientific name: Rhamphocottus richardsonii
Size range: up to 8.3 cm
Identifying features: Spiny pectoral fins, lower rays are not webbed; used for gripping and hopping on the substrate. They have a long snout and there is no definition between the head and body other than the gills. Usually bright colours; tan to orange with brown saddles.
Habitat: Temperate coastal waters of the North Pacific; Japan to Alaska. As far south as Santa Monica Bay. Inhabits tidal pools, rocky areas, and sandy bottoms of depths of 165 m. They take shelter in empty giant barnacles, bottles, cans, and nooks in the bottom of reefs.
Food: Adults eat copepods, amphipods, zooplankton, decapod and barnacle larvae, and crustaceans. The young are too small to eat crustaceans. Grunt sculpins have thick lips and small teeth.
Predators: The Grunt Sculpin escapes being eaten by hiding in empty Giant Barnacle shells. It sticks its snout out to make it look as if the barnacle is closed but alive. It will also turn around and stick its tail out and wave it back and forth to make it seem as if the barnacle is feeding. Captive Grunt Sculpin will react to fast or looming objects beyond the glass. They will also eat frozen krill but not dried fish flakes.
Life Cycle: During spawning the female will chase a male into a crevice and keep him there until she lays her eggs. The male will then fertilize them. Spawning time is winter and spring. Both of the parents will take care of the eggs until they hatch-about six months. The eggs are coloured yellow to orange.
Photos by T. Baatz and D. Young
Black Prickleback
Common name: Black Prickleback
Scientific name: Xiphister atropurpureus
Size: up to 30cm in length
Identifying Features
The Black Prickleback is dark reddish brown to black in color with a pale head. The head is small with approximately three light edged bands radiating from each eye. They are also recognized for having large features, especially a large jaw.
Habitat
Black Pricklebacks prefer to live in rocky terrain with algae cover. They can be found under rocks and gravel and the smaller ones are commonly found in small tide pools. They are capable of breathing air and can be out of water for up to twenty three hours. They do this by keeping moist by burrowing under seaweed and wet rocks. Usually they live somewhere around 7.6 meters from the surface. They tend to stay away from areas where fishermen operate.
Food (Prey)
The typical diet of a Black Pricklebacks includes crabs, gammarid amphipods, worms and some varieties of algae.
Predators
Black Pricklebacks are mainly hunted by sea birds or other larger “eels” and other fish. They have adapted to avoid these predators by using their small size and ability to take cover under rocks or in plants. Their size plays a large role as they can hide under or inbetween rocks where other fish as well as gulls and other birds cannot see them or reach them.
Life cycle
Spawning takes places from February to April off the west coast of the United States and from April to mid-May off the coast of British Columbia. Females will lay 700 to 4000 eggs under rocks or other protected areas. The eggs are deposited one by one and fertilized by the male. They are then shaped into spherical clusters by the mother and father. Males fertilize and guard the eggs from multiple mates. Black Pricklebacks can live to be thirteen years old but their overall age at maturity is just two years.
Photos by D. Young