Fish Bulletin 160. Observations On Fishes Associated With Kelp Beds in Southern California

This bulletin is meant to be a guide to the fishes of the west-central coast of North America that commonly occur in kelp beds and adjacent areas. The fishes described are common species, and this report is not meant to include all species that occur in the kelp environment and adjacent zones. In all, 97 species are described; key identification features are given. Colors listed for each species refer to how that specimen would appear in the live and/or recently captured state; underwater behavioral characteristics are given wherever possible to aid the underwater diving enthusiast. Description of the kelp environment is given, which includes a brief explanation pertaining to the three major ecological zones within the kelp ecosystem. A brief explanation and description of the kelp bed flora is included, along with geographical considerations. The kelp environment as a habitat type for fishes is discussed; three habitat regions in the kelp bed are given special attention, these are: 1) the canopy, 2) intermediate regions, and 3) kelp bottom holdfast region. Accounts of each species of fish then follow which include identification, distribution, size, habitat habits, and life history inclusive of food and reproductive biology whenever available. Four appendix tables include listings of the organisms frequently observed by diving in the various kelp bed habitat regions.

[1]  G. Key,et al.  The Comparative Ecology of Three Sympatric Species of California Blennies of the Genus Hypsoblennius gill (Teleostomi, Blenniidae) , 1970 .

[2]  T. Clarke.  Territorial Behavior and Population Dynamics of a Pomacentrid Fish, the Garibaldi, Hypsypops rubicunda , 1970 .

[3]  Myrtle Johnson,et al.  Seashore Animals of the Pacific Coast , 1967 .

[4]  Alex E. Peden.  Rare Marine Fishes from British Columbia with First Records of Silver Perch, Hyperprosopon ellipticum, and Shanny, Leptoclinus maculatus , 1966 .

[5]  J. Babel.  Fish Bulletin 137. Reproduction, Life History, and Ecology of the Round Stingray, Urolophus halleri Cooper , 1966 .

[6]  S. Kato.  White Shark Carcharodon carcharias from the Gulf of California with a List of Sharks Seen in Mazatlan, Mexico 1964 , 1965 .

[7]  J. Fitch.  A review of the fishes of the genus Pleuronichthys , 1963, Contributions in science.

[8]  P. Young.  Fish Bulletin 122. The Kelp Bass (Paralabrax clathratus) and Its Fishery, 1947–1958 , 1963 .

[9]  C. Turner,et al.  Fish Bulletin 124. Artificial Habitat in the Marine Environment , 1963 .

[10]  J. L. Baxter,et al.  Fish Bulletin No. 110. A Study of The Yellowtail Seriola Dorsalis (Gill) , 1960 .

[11]  J. B. Phillips.  Fish Bulletin No. 104. A Review of The Rockfishes of California (Family Scorpaenidae) , 1957 .

[12]  C. Limbaugh.  Fish life in the kelp beds and the effects of kelp harvesting , 1955 .

[13]  L. Hyman.  Intertidal Invertebrates of the Central California Coast. , 1954 .

[14]  C. P. O'connell.  Fish Bulletin No. 93. The Life History of the Cabezon Scorpaenichthys marmoratus (Ayres) , 1953 .

[15]  P. Roedel.  Fish Bulletin No. 91. Common Ocean Fishes of the California Coast , 1953 .

[16]  Fred Harald Tarp.  Fish Bulletin No. 88. A Revision of the Family Embiotocidae (The Surfperches) , 1952 .

[17]  A. Fraser‐Brunner.  The Ocean Sunfishes (Family Molidae) , 1952 .

[18]  G. Macginitie,et al.  Natural history of marine animals , 1949 .

[19]  W. A. Clemens,et al.  Fishes of the Pacific coast of Canada , 1947 .

[20]  T. A. Stephenson,et al.  Between Pacific Tides , 1939 .

[21]  J. L. Baxter.  Inshore fishes of California , 1974 .

[22]  R. L. Bolin.  A review of the marine cottid fishes of California ; A review of the myctophid fishes of the Pacific Coast of the United States , 1973 .

[23]  W. North.  The biology of giant kelp beds (Macrocystis) in California , 1971 .

[24]  W. North,et al.  Fish Bulletin 139. Utilization of Kelp-Bed Resources in Southern California , 1968 .

[25]  F. Macfarland,et al.  Studies of Opisthobranchiate Mollusks of the Pacific Coast of North America , 1966 .

[26]  C. Smith,et al.  The patterns of sexuality and the classification of serranid fishes. American Museum novitates ; no. 2207 , 1965 .

[27]  Daniel J. Miller,et al.  Fish Bulletin 130. Ocean Sportfish Catch and Effort From Oregon to Point Arguello, California July 1, 1957–June 30, 1961 , 1965 .

[28]  C. Limbaugh.  Notes on the Life History of Two Californian Pomacentrids: Garibaldis, Hypsypops rubicunda (Girard), and Blacksmiths, Chromis punctipinnis (Cooper) , 1964 .

[29]  J. Lance.  A distributional list of Southern California opisthobranchs , 1961 .

[30]  J. Fitch.  Offshore fishes of California , 1960 .

[31]  John W. Schott,et al.  Fish Bulletin No. 109. The Barred Surfperch (Amphistichus argenteus Agassiz) in Southern California , 1960 .

[32]  Daniel J. Miller.  A field guide to some common ocean sport fishes of California , 1960 .

[33]  J. C. Briggs.  A monograph of the Clingfishes (Order Xenopterygii) , 1955 .

[34]  Percy Spencer Barnhart.  Marine fishes of Southern California , 1936 .

[35]  D. Mackett,et al.  Management of The White Seabass ( Cynoscion Nobilis ) In California Waters Permalink , 2022 .