Fish

by Erin Loury, Ichthyology Lab

For a fish as big as a mahi-mahi, getting the inside scoop can be a team effort.  Students from an MLML Ichthyology class dissected this fine specimen to study everything from the digestive system to the muscles of the fins and head, and even got an up-close look at the eye ball.  We took care to only cut up one side of the fish, leaving the other half presentable for visitors to admire at our Open House.  The “good side” of our then two-faced fish became the basis for some giant-sized fish prints!

by Erin Loury, Ichthyology Lab.

Sablefish, also known as Black Cod, are enjoying a boom in price as the in-demand fish of the hour.  The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guide currently ranks them as “Best Choice” or “Good Alternative,” depending on where they are caught.  While the adults are indeed black and color (and do taste delicious, from my limited exposure), the juveniles are a rather attractive pearly green, like this one turned up in a fish trawl off of southern California.

by Erin Loury, Ichthyology Lab

It might not be one of the the shiniest stars of the deep sea, but the stargazer fish certainly has some unique adaptations.  With eyes on top of its head (the source of that romantic name) and an upturned mouth, the stargazer can bury itself in the sand where it is perfectly poised to snatch an unsuspecting meal swimming by.  And don’t get too dreamy-eyed if you ever try to handle one – those spines behind the head have venom that can pack a sting.  This fish is more on guerrilla tactics than moonlit strolls!

 

Year old Steelhead (smolts) were seen during Moss Landing’s Scientific Diving class, in August, at Big Creek Reserve.  These fish are anadromous, meaning they are born in freshwater and then spend most of their lives at sea before returning to the freshwater to breed.  They get to experience both fresh and saltwater worlds!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It appears to be a good year for rockfish as the young of the year (called YOYs) are swimming around.  These fishes have survived the hardest part of their lives having been floating around as icthyo(fishy)-plankton and then recruiting to the kelp forest, however have much more to go.  Some species are seen in the kelp canopy, you can barley make them out in the second photo.

Without a doubt this eel is always present.  I think I can rely on this more than most things in my life.  They will choose a den and will only move if displaced by a larger eel or octopus.  Wolf eels, Anarrhichthys ocellatus, eat hard-shelled invertebrates and fishes.  Be careful, my shelled friends, these jaws can get cracking!

To continue the baja-palooza currently being celebrated on the blog, here are some Cortez Angelfish who were swimming together in southern Bahia Concepcion, Baja.  This site was particularly interesting because of a hydrothermal vent bubbling up carbon dioxide through the sediment.  It did not seem to affect the fish community as there were many others such as a scorpion fish and Pacific Porgys.  It was a little strange to feel like you are diving inside a giant soda bottle.

Some of the divers in MLML Baja Spring 2011’s class were fortunate enough to see a rare fish in Baja.  Out of the corner of my eye this fish was spotted – a Pacific Seahorse.  The females give birth and the males are the ones who take care of the babies in their brood pouch.  Good thing the males in some species do some of the parenting and give the ladies a break!