| Rockweed gunnel | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Scorpaeniformes |
| Family: | Pholidae |
| Genus: | Apodichthys |
| Species: | A. fucorum |
| Binomial name | |
| Apodichthys fucorum | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
The rockweed gunnel (Apodichthys fucorum), also known as the Fucus blenny, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Pholidae, the gunnels. [2] This species is found in the eastern North Pacific Ocean.
The rockweed gunnel was first formally described in 1880 by the American ichthyologists David Starr Jordan and Charles Henry Gilbert with its type locality given as Point Pinos, near Monterey, California. [3] The specific name fucorum means “belonging to Fucus , the brown algae which forms a frequent habitat for this species. [4]
The rockweed gunnel has a translucent body which varies in color from bright green to a reddish-brown and its color is determined by their environment. Fish living among green seaweed are green and fish living among brown seaweed are reddish brown. It has a long, thin eel-like body with small fins, each roughly equal in size to the diameter of their eye and too small to be used in swimming. The spine in the anal fin has a length which is 40% of the length of the head and has a sharp point, tilted forward. [5] This fish has 83 or 84 spines in its dorsal fin and a single spine and between 32 and 38 soft rays in its anal fin. It has a rounded caudal fin. Its maximum published total length is 23 cm (9.1 in). [1]
The rockweed gunnel is found along the eastern Pacific Ocean from Banks Island, British Columbia in the north, to Punta Escarpada, central Baja California, Mexico.in the south. This species lives in the demersal and intertidal zones at depths of up to 9 m (30 ft). It commonly occurs in tide pools and inshore areas among masses of brown seaweed in the genus fucus , also known as 'rockweed'. [1]
The rockweed gunnel’s diet consists of mollusks and small species of crustaceans. [1] Rockweed gunnels are able to survive when exposed at low tide because they can breathe air, being able to survive for up to 20 hours outside of water, so long as there is sufficient moisture. [5]
Pholidae is a family of marine ray-finned fishes, known as gunnels, in the scorpaeniform suborder Zoarcoidei. These are fishes of the littoral zone and are mainly found in North Pacific Ocean, with two species found in the North Atlantic Ocean and Arctic Ocean.
The quillfish,, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, it is the only species in the genus Ptilichthys and family Ptilichthyidae. This fish occurs in the northern North Pacific Ocean.
The stripedfin ronquil, also known as the bluebanded ronquil, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Bathymasteridae, the ronquils. This fish is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
The penpoint gunnel is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Pholidae, the gunnels. This fish occurs in the eastern North Pacific Ocean.
The leafy klipfish is a species of clinid found along the coast of South Africa from Cape Point to the Bashee River. Its preferred habitat is amongst seaweed in the subtidal zone. It can reach a maximum total length of 30 cm (12 in). It is currently the only known member of its genus. The generic name honours the South African ichthyologist J.L.B. Smith (1897-1968), while the specific name means belonging to the brown seaweed genus Fucus, a reference to its habitat, colouring, and form.
Clinocottus acuticeps, the sharpnose sculpin, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. This sculpin is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
The rock gunnel, or butterfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Pholidae, the gunnels. This species is found in the coastal waters of the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Atlantic part of the Arctic Ocean.
Pacific spotted scorpionfish, or the stone scorpionfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes. It is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is the largest species in the genus Scorpaena and, like the other species in that genus, it is protected by venomous spines.
Myoxocephalus scorpioides, the Arctic sculpin or northern sculpin, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. This fish is found in the Arctic Ocean.
Artedius corallinus, the coralline sculpin, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. It is found in the eastern North Pacific along the coasts of the western United States and Baja California.
The crescent gunnel, also known as the bracketed blenny, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Pholidae, the gunnels. This fish occurs in the shallow coastal waters of the eastern North Pacific Ocean.
The woolly sculpin is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. It is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, where it occurs along the coastline of California and Baja California.
The saddleback gunnel, also known as the saddled blenny, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Pholidae, the gunnels. This fish occurs in the shallow coastal waters of the eastern North Pacific Ocean.
Pholis is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Pholidae, the gunnels. These fishes are found in shallow coastal waters of the North Pacific, Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans.
Apodichthys is a small genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Pholidae, the gunnels. These fishes are found in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
The stippled gunnel is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Pholidae, the gunnels. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Rhodymenichthys. It is found in the northern North Pacific Ocean.
The kelp gunnel is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Pholidae, the gunnels. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Ulvicola. It is found in the eastern North Pacific Ocean.
The Arctic shanny is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Stichaeidae, the pricklebacks and shannies. This species occurs in the North Pacific, Arctic and western North Atlantic Oceans.
Opisthocentrinae is a subfamily of marine ray-finned fishes, classified within the family Stichaeidae, the pricklebacks or shannies. These fishes are found in the North Pacific Occean.
Pholidapus is a monotypic genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Stichaeidae, the pricklebacks and shannies. Its only species is Pholidapus dybowskii which is found in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.