List of fishes of the Salish Sea

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The Salish Sea, showing the Strait of Georgia near centre, the Strait of Juan de Fuca below, Puget Sound at the lower right, Johnstone Strait at the extreme upper left, and the Pacific Ocean at lower left. Sediment from the Fraser River is visible as a greenish plume in the Strait of Georgia. PNW-straits.jpg
The Salish Sea, showing the Strait of Georgia near centre, the Strait of Juan de Fuca below, Puget Sound at the lower right, Johnstone Strait at the extreme upper left, and the Pacific Ocean at lower left. Sediment from the Fraser River is visible as a greenish plume in the Strait of Georgia.

There are at least 253 identified species of fish known to inhabit the marine and brackish regions of the Salish Sea. Species are listed by common name, scientific name, typical occurrence within the Salish Seas regions. [1]

Contents

Salish Sea regions: JF=Strait of Juan de Fuca; SJ=San Juan Islands; BB=Bellingham Bay; SG=southern Strait of Georgia; NG=northern Strait of Georgia; NS=northern Puget Sound; SS=southern Puget Sound; HC=Hood Canal.

Myxiniformes (Hagfish)

Myxinidae

Petromyzontiformes (Lampreys)

Petromyzontidae

Chimaeriformes (Ratfish)

Chimaeridae

Lamniformes (Mackerel Sharks)

Alopiidae (Thresher sharks)

Cetorhinidae (Basking sharks)

Lamnidae (Mackerel sharks)

Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks)

Leopard shark Leopard shark in kelp.jpg
Leopard shark

Scyliorhinidae (Cat sharks)

Triakidae (Hound sharks)

Carcharhinidae (Requiem sharks)

Hexanchiformes (Six-gill sharks)

Hexanchidae (Cow sharks)

Squaliformes (Dogfish sharks)

Squalidae (Dogfish sharks)

Somniosidae (Sleeper sharks)

Squatiniformes (Angel sharks)

Pacific angelshark Squatina californica.jpg
Pacific angelshark

Squatinidae

Torpediniformes (Electric rays)

Torpedinidae

Rajiformes (Skates)

Rajidae

Acipenseriformes (Sturgeons)

White Sturgeon White Sturgeon - Acipenser tranmontanus Joseph R. Tomelleri.JPG
White Sturgeon

Acipenseridae

Anguilliformes (Eels)

Nemichthyidae (Snipe eels)

Clupeiformes (Herrings)

Engraulidae (Anchovies)

Clupeidae (Herrings and sardines)

Cypriniformes (Carps)

Cyprinidae (Minnows and carps)

Argentiniformes (Marine smelts)

Bathylagidae (Deep sea smelts)

Osmeriformes (Freshwater smelts)

Osmeridae (Smelts)

Salmoniformes (Trouts)

Coastal cutthroat trout Trout cutthroat fish oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii.jpg
Coastal cutthroat trout

Salmonidae (Trouts and salmons)

Stomiiformes (Dragonfishes)

Sternoptychidae (Marine hatchetfishes)

Stomiidae (Dragonfishes)

Aulopiformes (Lizardfishes)

Synodontidae

Alepisauridae (Lancetfishes)

Paralepididae (Barracudinas)

Myctophiformes (Lanternfishes)

Myctophidae

Lampriformes (Opahs)

Lampridae

Trachipteridae (Ribbonfishes)

Gadiformes (Cods)

Merlucciidae (Merlucciid hakes)

Gadidae (Cods)

Ophidiiformes (Cusk-eels)

Bythitidae (Viviparous brotulas)

Ophidiidae (Cusk-eels)

Batrachoidiformes (Toadfishes)

Batrachoididae

Beloniformes (Needlefishes)

Scomberesocidae (Sauries)

Cyprinodontiformes (Killfishes)

Cyprinodontidae (Pupfishes)

Gasterosteiformes (Sticklebacks)

Aulorhynchidae (Tubesnouts)

Gasterosteidae (Sticklebacks)

Syngnathidae (Pipefishes)

Scorpaeniformes (Mail-cheeked fishes)

Tiger rockfish Tiger rockfish Joseph R. Tomelleri.JPG
Tiger rockfish

Scorpaenidae (Scorpionfishes)

Anoplopomatidae (Sablefishes)

Sablefish Sablefish resting on sediment.jpg
Sablefish

Hexagrammidae (Greenlings)

Rhamphocottidae (Grunt sculpins)

Cottidae (Sculpins)

Longfin sculpin Longfin sculpin Joseph R. Tomelleri.JPG
Longfin sculpin
Fluffy sculpin Fluffy sculpin Joseph R. Tomelleri.JPG
Fluffy sculpin

Hemitripteridae (Spiny sculpins)

Sailfin sculpin Sailfin sculpin Tomelleri.JPG
Sailfin sculpin

Agonidae (Poachers)

Fourhorn poacher Fourhorn poacher Tomelleri.JPG
Fourhorn poacher

Psychrolutidae (Fathead sculpins)

Cyclopteridae (Lumpfishes)

Liparidae (Snailfishes)

Perciformes (Perches)

Moronidae (Temperate basses)

Carangidae (Jacks)

Bramidae (Pomfrets)

Sciaenidae (Drums and croakers)

Embiotocidae (Surfperches)

Bathymasteridae (Ronquils)

Northern ronquil Northern ronquil Tomelleri.JPG
Northern ronquil

Zoarcidae (Eelpouts)

Stichaeidae (Pricklebacks)

Cryptacanthodidae (Wrymouths)

Pholidae (Gunnels)

Anarhichadidae (Wolffishes)

Ptilichthyidae (Quillfishes)

Zaproridae (Prowfishes)

Scytalinidae (Graveldivers)

Trichodontidae (Sandfishes)

Ammodytidae (Sand lances)

Icosteida (Ragfishes)

Gobiesocidae (Clingfishes)

Gobiidae (Gobies)

Sphyraenidae (Barracudas)

Trichiuridae (Cutlassfishes)

Scombridae (Mackerels)

Stromateidae (Butterfishes)

Pleuronectiformes (Flatfishes)

Paralichthyidae (Sand flounders)

Pleuronectidae (Righteye flounders)

Rock sole Rock sole tomelleri.JPG
Rock sole

Cynoglossidae (Tonguefishes)

Tetraodontiformes (Plectognaths)

Molidae (Molas)

Notes

  1. Pietsch, Theodore W.; Orr, James W. (September 2015). NOAA Professional Paper NMFS 18-Fishes of the Salish Sea: a compilation and distributional analysis (PDF) (Report). National Marine Fisheries Service. pp. 6–11. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 Species (and hybrid) new to the marine ichthyofauna of the Salish Sea, added since the most recently published checklist (Miller and Borton, 1980)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Primarily freshwater species
  4. Brown, Scott (15 Aug 2014). "SHARK WEEK: 14 sharks, including the Great White, swim in B.C. waters and more are coming". Vancouver Sun, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  5. Personius, Ethan M.; Schulte, Jessica M.; Hillier, Lisa; Lowry, Dayv; English, Maddie; Chapple, Taylor K. (2024). "Observation of the critically endangered soupfin shark (Galeorhinus galeus) in the Changing Salish Sea". Frontiers in Marine Science. 11. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1420721 .
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Name changes introduced since the most recently published checklist (Miller and Borton, 1980)
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Introduced species
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Anadromous species