The shiner perch (''Cymatogaster aggregata'') is a common
surfperch
The surfperches are a family of percomorph fishes, the Embiotocidae. They are mainly found in northeast Pacific Ocean (as far south as Baja California), but a few species (genera '' Ditrema'' and '' Neoditrema'') are found in the northwest Pacifi ...
found in estuaries, lagoons, and coastal streams along the Pacific coast from
Alaska
Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
to
Baja California
Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...
. It is the sole member of its genus. The shiner perch is also known as seven-eleven and shiner seaperch.
Description
Shiner perch is similar to
tule perch; it is 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 perch is distinguished from tule perch by having fewer
dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates. Dorsal fins have evolved independently several times through convergent evolution adapting to marine environments, so the fins are not all homologous. They are found ...
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
Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the back bone and are supported o ...
has 3 spines followed by 22–25 rays.
Shiner perch can reach a maximum length of , but are most commonly under in
total length
Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies, for data used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fishery biology.
Overall length
Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish measured f ...
.
Habitat and ecology
Shiner perch range from Punta Baja, Northern
Baja California
Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...
, to Saint John Baptist Bay near
Sitka in Southeastern
Alaska
Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
.
It is one of the most common fish in the bays and estuaries of its range, favoring beds of
eelgrass Eelgrass is a common name for several plants and may refer to:
* '' Zostera'', marine eelgrass
* '' Vallisneria'', freshwater eelgrass
See also
*'' Potamogeton compressus'', known as eel-grass pondweed
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