Resource inventory of marine and estuarine fishes of the West Coast and Alaska: A checklist of North Pacific and Arctic Ocean species from Baja California to the Alaska - Yukon border

Abstract

This West Coast inventory would not have been possible without the technical support and assistance of many, many individuals and organizations. We cannot express our appreciation enough to all involved for their efforts and contributions to this scientific endeavor. The inventory provides relevant benchmarks to our understanding of the biological diversity of fishes in some of the Nation's most important marine and estuarine ecosystems.

First record and new size record for the oceanic species Psenes sio (Actinopterygii: Scombriformes: Nomeidae) in the northern Gulf of California, Mexico

“…The twospine driftfish, Psenes sio, has been reported from the southern part of Baja California, Mexico, to Punta Doña Maria, Peru (Love et al 2005). The diagnosis of the species was carried out by Haedrich (1970) based on five juveniles collected in the equatorial eastern Pacific Ocean.…”

“…Particularly, the twospine driftfish, Psenes sio Haedrich, 1970, belongs to a group of species that bears small conical recurved teeth in the upper jaw, while the teeth in the lower jaw are laterally flattened and bladelike (Haedrich 1970). This species is distributed in the eastern Pacific, from southern Baja California, Mexico, to Peru, including most of the Gulf of California (Love et al 2005). However, the records for this species in the Gulf of California come from samples collected by plankton hauls in the central and southern Gulf (Alhstrom et al 1976;Aceves-Medina et al 2003;Avendaño-Ibarra et al 2009).…”

Testing assumptions underlying cabezon (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus) otolith microstructure analysis using wild‐caught juveniles and opportunistic rearing of eggs and larvae

“…As a long-lived, large-bodied member of the Cottidae family that inhabits nearshore waters from Baja California, Mexico, to Alaska, USA (Love et al, 2005;Miller & Lea, 1972;Quast, 1968), cabezon lay demersal egg masses in the recesses of natural and man-made reefs, with males demonstrating nest-guarding behaviour (Garrison & Miller, 1982). The presence of larvae in ichthyoplankton surveys and variation in ovary condition indicate that the timing and duration of spawning vary by latitude and with environmental conditions.…”