California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Draft List of Fishes Likely to Benefit from the Establishment of Marine Protected Areas in California

Species

Primary Bottom type (Rock/Sand)

Shallow Depth (ft.)

Deepest Depth (ft.)

sm-mod adult home range (sm 0-5 km mod 10-20 km)

Currently mod-large take

Historically mod-large take

Low Pop. Estimate (<40% unfished)

Size structure shifted toward sm indiv

life history trait vulnerable

life stage to benefit (e.g., spawning activity, nursery area)

habitat impacted (by human activity)

Ecologically Important (keystone or habitat forming)

Comments

aurora rockfish

Sand/Rock

266

2930

ND

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

 

bank rockfish

Rock

102

1489

ND

1

1

ND

1

1

0

0

0

declines in pop size and age/length in fishery

barred surfperch

Sand

0

240

1

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

piers;jetties;sandy beaches

bat ray

Sand/Rock

0

354

0

1

0

ND

ND

1

1

1

1

aggregate to spawn and breed inshore. Very often in the sandy areas in kelp beds, between the rocks. Top predator. Digging in sand has profound impact on invertebrate community.

big skate

Sand

7

2624

0

0

0

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

low fecundity

black rockfish

Rock

0

1200

1

1

1

1

1

1

0

0

0

Per Steve Ralston, CA population likely below 40%

black surfperch

Rock

0

150

1

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

1

0

piers; jetties; estuaries; kelp; low fecundity

black-and-yellow rockfish

Rock

0

120

1

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

 

blackgill rockfish

Rock

289

2520

ND

1

1

0

ND

1

0

0

0

 

blue rockfish

Rock

0

1800

0

1

1

0

1

1

0

0

1

filter barnacle larvae (Gaines and Roughgarden)

bocaccio

Rock

0

1578

0

1

1

1

1

1

0

0

1

Top predator; adults with low movement. declining lengths in central CA CPFV (Mason 1998)

bronzespotted rockfish

rock

246

1354

1

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

 

brown rockfish

Rock

0

480

1

1

1

ND

0

1

0

0

0

locally important species in places like SF Bay since 1850

brown smoothhound

Sand

0

922

0

1

0

ND

ND

1

1

1

0

inshore nursery

cabezon

Rock

0

360

1

1

1

0

ND

0

0

0

0

 

calico rockfish

Rock

0

1000

1

0

0

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

 

California halibut

Sand

1

922

0

1

1

0

ND

0

1

0

0

nursery and spawning aggregations

California skate

Sand

43

5248

0

0

0

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

 

canary rockfish

Rock

0

1440

0

0

1

1

1

1

0

0

0

declining lengths in central CA CPFV (Mason 1998)

chilipepper rockfish

rock

0

1611

0

1

1

0

1

1

0

0

0

declining lengths in central CA CPFV (Mason 1998)

china rockfish

rock

10

420

1

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

 

copper rockfish

Rock

0

607

1

1

1

ND

1

1

0

0

0

 

cowcod

Rock

132

1610

1

0

1

1

ND

1

0

0

1

 

darkblotched rockfish

Both

95

2985

1

1

1

1

ND

1

0

0

0

 

Dover sole

Sand

7

4500

0

1

1

0

ND

0

0

0

0

 

English sole

Sand

0

1800

0

1

1

0

ND

0

0

0

0

 

flag rockfish

Rock

100

1371

1

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

 

gopher rockfish

Rock

0

282

1

1

1

0

ND

1

0

0

0

 

grass rockfish

Rock

0

150

1

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

 

greenblotched rockfish

Rock

180

1610

1

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

 

greenspotted rockfish

Both

98

1243

1

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

 

greenstriped rockfish

Sand/Interface

39

3756

1

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

 

kelp greenling

Rock

0

426

1

1

1

ND

ND

0

0

0

0

 

kelp rockfish

Rock

0

190

1

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

 

leopard shark

Sand

0

515

0

1

0

ND

ND

1

1

1

0

estuarine pupping and nursery grounds. Very common in kelp beds, often up in the water column in kelp beds at night.

lingcod

Rock

0

1558

1

1

1

1

ND

0

1

0

0

reproductive aggregations

longnose skate

Sand

30

3506

0

0

0

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

low fecundity

longspine thornyhead

Sand

660

5760

0

1

1

0

ND

0

0

0

0

 

monkeyface prickleback

Rock

0

80

1

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

1

0

homing; tidepools; large TL; potential local depletion

olive rockfish

Rock

0

564

1

1

1

ND

1

1

0

0

0

 

Pacific hagfish

Sand/Rock

53

3168

0

0

1

ND

ND

0

0

0

0

 

petrale sole

Sand

0

1800

0

1

1

1

ND

0

0

0

0

 

pile surfperch

Rock

0

295

1

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

piers; jetties; estuaries; kelp. Low fecundity

pink rockfish

Rock

150

1200

1

0

0

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

 

quillback rockfish

rock

16

899

1

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

 

rainbow surfperch

Rock

0

165

ND

0

0

ND

ND

1

0

1

0

harbors; eelgrass. some evidence they move inshore and offshore, movements are not known; low fecundity.

redbanded rockfish

Rock

161

3756

ND

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

 

rex sole

Sand

0

3756

0

1

1

0

ND

0

0

0

0

 

rosethorn rockfish

Both

194

3756

1

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

 

rosy rockfish

Rock

24

864

1

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

 

rubberlip surfperch

Rock

0

165

ND

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

1

0

piers; jetties; kelp. Low fecundity

sand sole

Sand

0

1066

ND

1

1

ND

ND

0

0

0

0

 

sanddab, Pacific

Sand

0

1800

0

1

1

0

ND

0

0

0

0

 

shiner surfperch

Both

0

480

ND

1

1

ND

ND

0

0

1

0

estuaries; kelpbeds

shortspine thornyhead

Sand/Rock

56

5000

0

1

1

0

ND

0

0

0

0

Juveniles, in particular, are often found on rocks.

slender sole

Sand

30

3756

0

0

0

ND

ND

0

0

0

0

 

speckled rockfish

Rock

100

1200

1

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

 

splitnose rockfish

sand

262

2932

0

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

 

squarespot rockfish

Rock

60

1000

1

1

0

0

ND

1

0

0

0

 

starry flounder

Sand

0

1968

ND

1

1

0

ND

0

0

1

0

estuarine nurseries

starry rockfish

Rock

50

900

1

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

 

striped surfperch

Rock

0

165

0

1

1

ND

ND

0

0

1

0

piers; jetties; estuaries; kelp

surf smelt

Sand

0

30

0

1

1

ND

ND

0

1

1

0

spawn in surfzone

topsmelt

Sand

0

85

ND

1

1

ND

ND

0

1

1

0

eggs laid on plants in backwater

treefish

Rock

0

320

1

1

1

ND

ND

1

0

0

0

 

vermilion rockfish

Rock

0

1440

1

1

1

0

1

1

0

0

0

southern CA declines in length (Love et al.)

walleye surfperch

Both

0

597

1

1

1

ND

ND

0

0

0

0

sandy beaches; piers

white croaker

Sand

0

781

0

0

0

ND

ND

0

0

0

0

 

white surfperch

Both

0

230

1

1

1

ND

ND

0

0

1

0

estuaries

widow rockfish

Rock

0

2625

0

0

1

1

ND

1

1

0

0

known to aggregate around pinnacles/seamounts

wolf eel

Rock

0

740

1

0

0

ND

ND

0

1

0

0

sedentary; mate-for-life? Large size

yelloweye rockfish

Rock

49

1800

1

0

1

1

ND

1

0

0

1

Top predator.

yellowtail rockfish

rock

0

1801

0

1

1

0

1

1

0

0

0

declining lengths in central CA CPFV (Mason 1998)