Redtail surfperch - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Redtail surfperch are marine fish that inhabit the near-shore and estuarine waters of North American Pacific coasts.

Description

Redtail surfperch are a deep bodied fish, (i.e oval in sideview), that are compressed (i.e. slender) from side to side, most often observed in the 8 to 11 inch lengths . The body is light colored, white to silver, with vertical marks or bars and red or pink fins (e. g. dorsal, anal and tail). The vertical marks begin as bars when young and become less distinct olive-red-brown markings as the fish grows. Fins of the redtail surfperch have both spines and fin rays, and the tail is moderately forked. The longest dorsal spines of the redtail surfperch are longer than dorsal fin rays, which helps distinguish the redtail surfperch from the barred and calico surfperch. Photographs and diagrams of redtail surfperch are available from various internet sources. A detailed description is included at the bottom of the article.

Range and habitat

Redtail surfperch are common along sandy ocean beaches and jetties year-round; these fish are found up-bay in estuaries seasonally, commonly during spring. Redtail surfperch are distributed from Avila Beach, California

Avila Beach, California

Avila Beach , pronounced AH-vuh-luh, is a census-designated place in San Luis Obispo County, California, USA and located about 160 miles northwest of Los Angeles, and about 200 miles south of San Francisco. The ZIP Code is 93424. The community is inside area code 805...

to Hope Island, B.C., and are the only New World marine surfperch that does not inhabit Southern and Baja California waters.

Classification

The scientific name of redtail surfperch is Amphistichus rhodoterus and these fish are taxonomically classified in the surfperch Family Embiotocidae. Redtail surfperch are one of three species in the Amphistichus genus (i.e. Amphistichus = redtail, barred and calico surfperch), and one of six species in the sub-family (i.e. Amphistichus + Hyperprosopon species).

Reproduction

Redtail surfperch (Amphistichus rhodoterus) are viviparous, a species that gives birth to live young. Amphistichus rhodoterus are iteroparous (i.e. reproducing multiple times during their life) with females giving birth annually after reaching sexual maturity at 3 or 4 years of age. Females along the central Oregon coast contain fertilized eggs near the first of the year, gestate for 8 months, and give birth in August and September. Northern California populations of redtail surfperch have a similar reproductive schedule, except that parturition (live birth) starts in July. Redtail surfperch normally give birth to between three and forty young; there is a strong correlation between female size and number of young. In the laboratory some young may not develop fully inside the female and can be reabsorbed or born dead. Wild caught fish rarely contain abnormal embryos. Water temperature affects growth of embryos, time of birth, and size at birth, and may be related to the faster growth of females. Male redtail surfperch develop a distinctive permanent shortening of some anal fins rays as they mature; the shortened anal fin rays appear as a notch in profile and can be used to externally determine mature males from females and juvenile fish.

Movement and migration

Redtail surfperch can move long distances along sandy beaches and coastlines, however migration around larger headlands like Cape Arago

Cape Arago State Park

Cape Arago State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Oregon, administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department....

in southern Oregon has not been documented. Redtail surfperch appear to school like other surfperch. Gestating (i.e. pregnant) females are known to move miles up into estuaries along with fewer smaller females that do not appear to carry young. Male and young female redtail surfperch are uncommon in estuaries upstream of the entrance and jetties. Females carrying young are also known to concentrate near where small rivers and creeks empty into the ocean during summer. Gestating females and newborn redtail surfperch are rarely observed in estuaries near the time of birth, however neonates and females that have recently given birth have been captured along ocean beaches near the time birth in reasonable numbers.

Size and age

Redtail surfperch grow to at least 2.1 kg (4.5 pounds), 41 cm total length (16 inches); and reach the age of 14 years. Average back calculated length in Oregon (i.e. length at winter scale ring -annulus formation) at age 1 is 3.9 inch (100 mm) and at age 2 is 6.5 inch (164 mm). By age 3 the average length of females is larger than for males. Female growth in length appears to continue at a faster rate than male growth throughout life. Growth rate appears to vary with latitude and water temperature.

Ecosystem

Species that co-occur with redtail surfperch on ocean beaches include the silver surfperch

Silver surfperch

The silver surfperch Hyperprosopon ellipticum is a surfperch . Other common names include "silver perch" and "shiner".-Description:...

, Pacific staghorn sculpin

Pacific staghorn sculpin

The Pacific staghorn sculpin, Leptocottus armatus, is a common sculpin found in shallow coastal waters along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja California...

, sandlance, Dungeness crab

Dungeness crab

The Dungeness crab, Metacarcinus magister , is a species of crab that inhabits eelgrass beds and water bottoms on the west coast of North America. It typically grows to across the carapace and is a popular seafood...

, shiner perch

Shiner perch

The shiner perch Cymatogaster aggregata is a common surfperch found in estuaries, lagoons, and coastal streams along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja California...

, mole crab

Emerita

Emerita may refer to:*Emerita , a genus of crustacean*Emerita Augusta, an ancient city of Spain* Saint Emerita, 3rd century martyr. See Digna and Emerita...

, Pacific razor clam

Pacific razor clam

The Pacific razor clam, Siliqua patula, is a species of large edible marine bivalve mollusc in the family Cultellidae.-Range:Pacific razor clams can be found along the Pacific West Coast from the eastern Aleutian Islands, Alaska, to Pismo Beach, California...

, sandhoppers

Talitridae

Talitridae is a family of amphipods. Commonly, many of the North American fresh water species of this family are called scuds. Terrestrial species are often referred to as landhoppers and beach dwellers are called sandhoppers or sand fleas.It contains the following genera:*Africorchestia Lowry &...

and other crustaceans. Sandlance and crustaceans are eaten by the redtail surfperch. Redtail surfperch are documented to include a significant amount of fish in their diet unlike many other surfperch. Harbor seals

Harbor Seal

The harbor seal , also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere...

are observed swimming and diving in areas where redtail surfperch were being caught; the fish often stop biting and may move when harbor seals arrive. Sea lion

Sea Lion

Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear-flaps, long fore-flippers, the ability to walk on all fours, and short thick hair. Together with the fur seal, they comprise the family Otariidae, or eared seals. There are six extant and one extinct species in five genera...

s have been observed surfing in waves just offshore of redtail surfperch fishing beaches but not as close in-shore as harbor seals. Newborn silver surfperch co-occur with neonate redtail surfperch along Oregon beaches; however the silver surfperch are born smaller and up to two months earlier. Stranded-decaying kelp

Kelp

Kelps are large seaweeds belonging to the brown algae in the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera....

, seagrass

Zostera

Zostera is a small genus of widely distributed seagrass, commonly called marine eelgrass or simply eelgrass . The genus Zostera contains sixteen species.-Ecology:Zostera is found on sandy substrates or in estuaries submerged or partially floating...

, invasive marsh grass as well as plankton and bacteria contribute energy and nutrients to this beach ecosystem.

Fisheries

Redtail surfperch are a popular sport fish in Washington, Oregon and Northern California; tens to hundreds-of-thousands of these fish are estimated to be caught by recreational anglers from each state annually. Redtail surfperch have been targeted by commercial fisheries in Northern California and are grouped with other surfperch in Oregon’s commercial landings. Commercial fishing seasons close in California and Oregon near the time of birth. Redtail surfperch are caught from beaches (surf), piers, jetties and in estuaries, and are not reported from offshore deep-ocean areas. Size, age and sex of fish caught vary depending on location and time of year. Female fish containing developing embryos dominate the redtail surfperch caught inside estuaries upstream from the entrance and jetties. Large catches of redtail surfperch were recorded from Oregon estuaries during the 1960s and 1970s; catches appear to have decreased since then, however data is not directly comparable. Some locations, well known to anglers, consistently result in catches dominated by one sex or size of fish.

Detailed description

The redtail surfperch body is about twice as long as it is high, not including the mildly forked tail. The tail is about ¼ of the fish’s length and is as wide as it is long. The first quarter of the redtail surfperch’s length includes a small upturned mouth, eye, and gill cover. The second quarter of the fish includes an upward sloping back, the dorsal fin spines along the highest part of the back, a pectoral fin at the leading edge of the lowest part on the belly, and a moderately sized pectoral fin two-thirds of the way down the body just behind the gill cover. The third quarter of a redtail surfperch body contains the dorsal fin rays, the anus, and the start of the anal fin. The belly of the redtail surfperch slopes upward after the anus. The posterior quarter of the fish contains the upward sloping end of the anal fin, and the forked tail. The lateral line starts behind the gill cove and runs high on the back parallel to the edge of the body above the pectoral fin to the tail. The extension of fins can significantly change the redtail surfperch outline or profile.

Reference list

1 http://www.recfin.org/forms/lfreq.htm

2 Brookins, K. 1995. personnel communication

3 http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/pdfs/surfperchid.pdf

4 Bennett, D.E., and R.S. Wydoski. 1977. Biology of the redtail surfperch (Amphistichus rhodoterus) from the Central Oregon Coast. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Technical Paper 90:1-23.

5 Gaumer, T., D. Demory, and L. Osis. 1973. Oregon Estuary Resource Use Study (12 vols.). Fish Commission of Oregon.

6 Ngoile, M.A.K. 1978. Biology of the redtail surfperch, Amphistichus rhodoterus in Northern California. M.S. Thesis, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California.

7 Dentler, J. L. and G. D. Grossman. 1980. A geographic record for the redtail surfperch, Amphistichus rhodoterus. California Fish and Game 66 (4):242.

8 Peden, A. E. and G. W. Hughes. 1986. First records, confirmatory records, and range extensions of marine fishes off Canada’s west coast. Canadian Field Naturalist 100 (1):1-9.

9 Tarp, F. H. 1952. A revision of the family Embiotocidae (the surfperches). Fish Bulletin number 88, California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento.

10 Brookins, K. G. 1995. Population dynamics and reproductive biology of the redtail surfperch Amphistichus rhodoterus (Embiotocidae). Doctoral Dissertation, Oregon State University, Corvallis.

11 Pruden, D. 2000. Southern Oregon Surfperch studies 1991-2000. Final Report federal aid in Sport Fish restoration programs USFWS.http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/publications/surfperch_finalrpt_2000.pdf

12 http://www.recfin.org/forms/est.html

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