Shiner perch

Cymatogaster aggregata

Cymatogaster aggregata is a fish of the family of the surf perch ( Embiotocidae ). He lives on the rocky shores and kelp forests of the northeastern Pacific from the Wrangell Island on the coast of southern Bahia San Quintin Alaska to northern Baja California. The fish hold on, especially in calm, shallow water, in seagrass beds, bays and harbors and swim in brackish and fresh water. They live in small flocks. In its area of ​​distribution Cymatogaster aggregata is the most common surf perch.

Features

The fish are more than 18 to 20 cm long, but usually reach only 10 to 13 cm. They are 9 years old. They are silver, the back greenish or dark. On the sides there are eight rows of scales with small black dots. Especially in females, the strips are often interrupted by three bright yellow vertical stripes. Above the eye of the head is indented concave. There is often a small, dark spot on both sides of the head, above the upper lip. Males are darker during the summer, the yellow vertical stripes occur only in winter. The lateral line is complete and slightly curved upwards. Differs from other surf perch by the large scales and the three fin spines in the anal fin. The paired fins are colorless, the anal fin usually too, but sometimes show a yellow spot at the front, back and tail are dark.

Way of life

During the breeding season the copulatory organs are (surf perch have internal fertilization ) can be clearly seen in males on both sides of the anal fin. Mating takes place especially in the summer, the males are very often very black. The fry are born the following spring or summer. Females of 15 cm length can give birth to 20 juveniles who are at birth about 3.8 cm long.

Cymatogaster aggregata feeds on small crustaceans, molluscs and algae, larvae and juveniles of copepods.