Surfperch

Surfperch Temporal range: Late Miocene–present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Striped surfperch ( Embiotoca lateralis )
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Blenniiformes
Family:	Embiotocidae Agassiz, 1853
Genera [1]
Amphistichus Brachyistius Cymatogaster Ditrema Embiotoca Hyperprosopon Hypsurus Hysterocarpus Micrometrus Neoditrema Phanerodon Rhacochilus Zalembius † Eriquius

The surfperches are a family of viviparous ray-finned fishes, the Embiotocidae. Most species are marine, inhabiting coastal waters from Baja California to Alaska, with a few found in Asian Pacific coasts. The only freshwater species, the tule perch (Hysterocarpus traski), is endemic to California, United States. ^[2]

Etymology

From Greek embios meaning 'persistent' and tokos meaning 'birth', alluding to the viviparous reproduction exhibited by embiotocids.

Fossil record

Fossil embiotocids have been found in California, including Eriquius plectrodes from the Late Miocene ^{[3] [4]} and the much younger Damalichthys saratogensis . ^[5]

Description

Surfperches are characterized by deep, laterally compressed bodies and a scaled ridge along the base of the dorsal fin. ^[2] In all species, males can be visibly distinguished from females by the presence of the distinct reproductive organ on the anal fin. ^[6]

Reproduction

Surfperches are viviparous, an uncommon trait among marine fishes. Eggs are internally fertilized, and females carry developing embryos for several months. ^[2] Embryos develop inside the ovary, and are initially nourished by the yolk ^[6] and surrounding ovarian fluid. ^[2] Embryos have highly vascular dorsal and anal fins which lay against the vascular ovarian wall, absorbing nutrients and oxygen directly from the mother’s blood supply. ^[2] Females give live birth to fully formed young instead of laying eggs. ^[7]

Shiner perch (Cymatogaster aggregata): Male in breeding colouration (left), and female pregnant with young (right)

Biology

Feeding

Diet varies with species and location. For example, the pile surfperch ( Rhacochilus vacca ) specializes on hard-shelled mollusks and crustaceans, while the striped surfperch ( Embiotoca lateralis ) consumes mainly amphipods and bryozoans. ^[8]

See also

• List of fish families

References

1. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Family Embiotocidae". FishBase . April 2013 version.
2. Moyle, Peter B. (2002). Inland fishes of California (Rev. and expanded ed.). Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN   978-0-520-92651-6.
3. Longo, Gary; Bernardi, Giacomo (July 2015). "The evolutionary history of the embiotocid surfperch radiation based on genome-wide RAD sequence data" . Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 88: 55–63. Bibcode:2015MolPE..88...55L. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2015.03.027. PMID   25858559.
4. "Neotropical Aradidae in the collections of the California Academy Sciences, San Franciso (Hemiptera: Heteroptera)". Occasional Papers of the California Academy of Sciences. 122: 1–28. 1975. doi: 10.5962/bhl.part.27215 . ISSN   0068-5461.
5. Casteel, Richard W. (1978-05-05). "Damalichthys saratogensis: A New Freshwater Fish (Embiotocidae) from the Plio-Pleistocene (Blancan) of California". Copeia. 1978 (2): 293. doi:10.2307/1443566.
6. Tarp, Fred Harald (1952-10-01). "Fish Bulletin No. 88. A Revision of the Family Embiotocidae (The Surfperches)".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
7. "Family: EMBIOTOCIDAE, Surfperches". Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. 2023.
8. Haldorson, Lewis; Moser, Mike (1979-11-28). "Geographic Patterns of Prey Utilization in Two Species of Surfperch (Embiotocidae)" . Copeia. 1979 (4): 567. doi:10.2307/1443863. ISSN   0045-8511. JSTOR   1443863.