Category Archives: Fish Video

Scorpaenichthyes marmoratus : Cabezon –The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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Cabezon:(literally big head in Spanish ) is a benthic fish that lives among the kelp holdfasts and rocky areas, usually very close to the bottom. It is often so confident of its camouflage that it will not move when approached by divers. Note the multi colored eye. These fish will lunge at almost anything that moves on the bottom. Dissections of their stomachs reveal amphipods and small crabs, pieces of kelp (and even rocks they have grabbed when foraging for other invertebrates.)

Cabezon are normally benthic or bottom-dwellers, living among rocks and seaweeds in tide pools. Sometimes they live just below the water’s surface among the marine plants. Their coloration allows them to remain well camouflaged. Their habitat is most likely rocky, sandy and muddy bottoms, living in areas with a depth range of 0 to 200 meters. Moreover, young cabezon feed on small crustaceans like amphipods, shrimp, and crabs. The adults feed on crustaceans, marine worms and mollusks, including clams and abalone. They can swallow a whole abalone and later regurgitate the indigestible shell; therefore, their tropic level is that of a secondary carnivore. In addition, the limiting factors that will affect the development and growth of this population in a certain habitat will be the presence of enough light, temperature and the availability of food and living space

Their maximum length and weight are 99.0 centimeters and 14.0 Kilograms respectively. This organism can be seen in the Eastern Pacific, which covers the areas from Southeastern Alaska to Punta Abrejos, in Central Baja California, Mexico. Race Rocks is located in the centre of this range. In this map we can see the range of this fish.

Reference The National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) BioBot
http://www.elasmodiver.com/BCMarinelife/BCML%20Chordata.htm

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams. March 15 2005- Diomedes Saldana PC -Greco

Sebastes nigrocinctus: Tiger rockfish– The Race Rocks taxonomy

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Characteristics:

Sebastes nigrocinctus, the tiger rockfish is striped like a tiger, feature shades of pink, grey or rose, with five black or red bars radiating backwards from the eyes. Bony ridges on the head may also distinguish them from other species. In younger individuals, tips of the ventral and anal fins are darkened. Tiger rockfish reach lengths of 35 cm by 17 years of age; their maximum size is reportedly 61 cm.

 

Distribution and Habitat:
Since the establishment of the Rock Fish Protection area around Race Rcoks after 2002, these fish are now protected.

They occur from shallow water to 305 m. They are generally found in waters less than 30 m in Puget Sound. Off Oregon, the species is usually found at depths of 64-305 m. In the northeastern Strait of Georgia, tiger rockfish are generally captured in 21-140 m of water.
Juveniles of the species are pelagic, while adults are semi-demersal to demersal. Tiger rockfish are commonly found in caves along undersea cliffs or on the sea floor, generally in high relief areas with strong currents. It was noted that tiger rockfish are often associated with “wall” habitat. Young have been noted resting among gooseneck barnacles near Triangle Island, British Columbia. Off southeast Alaska, habitat requirements for tiger rockfish are similar to those of Yellow Eye and China rockfishes. Juvenile tiger rockfish were observed around rocky reefs, as shallow as 9 m.

Trophic interactions:

Tiger rockfish are solitary, sometimes territorial, and are known to prey upon caridean shrimp, crabs (particularly rock crabs), amphipods and small fishes like herring and juvenile rockfish in the Gulf of Alaska . This species is a generalized feeder that depends on currents bringing food items near its home territory.

Classification based on:
Hart J.L., Pacific Fishes Of Canada, Bulletin 180, Ottawa 1973, page 433
Racerocks reference:

Further References:

1) Hart J.L., Pacific Fishes Of Canada, Bulletin 180, Ottawa 1973
2) http://www.homestead.com/FishStalker/Rockfish.html

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Actinopterygii
Order Scorpaeniformes
Family Scorpaenidae
Genus Sebastes
Species nigrocinctus
COMMON NAME:Tiger Rockfish

 

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams. March 15 2009-

Archive video: Fish Species of Race Rocks

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Kelp Greenling Hexagramos decagramos Pacific Herring in a feeding frenzy with Krill : Clupea harengus pallasi  Wolf Eel : Anarrhichthys ocellatus  Tidepool Sculpin eating a mussel Oligocottus maculosus
 There is a sports
fishing closure in the ecological reserve, however we still get people claiming ignorance of the fact .		  Ling Cod Ophidon elongatus  Cabezon: Scorpaenichthyes marmoratus  Black Rockfish: Sebastes melanops
 Tiger Rockfish Sebastes nigrocinctus

 

Sebastes melanops: Black Rockfish– The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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Physical description

We frequently see schools of these rockfish hanging about when we are diivng at Race Rocks. As you can see in the video, they remain at a distance as the diver swims into the group. They are a thin bass-shaped fish with few head spines. It is black, blue and black, spotted with grey or blue and grey, with black spots on the backs and dorsal fins.


Global distribution:
It lives in the ocean from the area of Amchitka Island (Auletian Islands) southeast to S. Miguel island and S. Barbara (southern California). We can find it from central California to south eastern Alaska.
Habitat:
It usually lives in mid-water or surface, but it has been captured down to 1.200 feet.
Feeding:
Young fish eat plankton and larvae, old eat mainly fish and zooplankton.

Predators:
Their predators are ling cods, sea lions and pigeon guillemots.
Reproduction:
Females are viviparous. From September to November they store the sperm before fertilizing the eggs. They let go young from January to May, peaking in February off California. One interesting fact: They live in groups of thousand of elements. They are good swimmers, in fact they can move hundred of miles.References:
Probably more than you want to know about the fishes of the Pacific Coast, M. Love,
Really Big Press, II edition.

Andy Lamb and Phil Edgell: “Coastal fishes of the Pacific Northwest”
J.L Hart: “Pacific fishes of Canada”

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
sub phylum vertebrata
Class Actinopterygii
Order Pereciformes
Family Scorpaenidae
Genus Sebastes
Species melanops
Common Name:Black Rockfish

 

Other Members of the Class Actinopterigii  at Race Rocks.
taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams. March 15 2005- Stefania Marchese PC, year 32 (Italy)

Name: Stefania Marchese,
PC, year 32 (Italy)

Apodichtys flavidus: The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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These images were taken on the remote camera 5 shows a Pigeon Guillemot prior to feeding a Penpoint gunnel to chicks.During the months of May and June, the Pigeon Guillemots (Cepphus columba) are constantly diving off the north side of Great Race Rock and bringing up penpoint gunnels for their young. They nest under loose rock on several locations arounf the island. They are very cautious about going to their nest burrow where they may be seen by predators,

PUGET SOUND/ Strait of Juan de Fuca SPECIES

Apodichthys flavidus Penpoint Gunnel

Pholis clemensi Longfin Gunnel

Pholis laeta Crescent Gunnel

Pholis ornata Saddleback Gunnel

Pholis schultzi Red Gunnel

Xererpes fucorum Rockweed Gunnel

PENPOINT GUNNEL

This is a family of littoral fishes of the northern Pacific and northern Atlantic.They are typically found hiding under rocks and logs or in tidepools at low tide.The longest gunnel , at maximum of 46 cm,is the Penpoint Gunnel.Most gunnels feed on small crustaceans and molluscs.There are about 14 species, six are found here. Although secretive , this family is common in Puget Sound. This fish is not important commercially and is not considered threatened.This species can breath air when out of water.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Body elongate and compressed (eel-like body with no pelvic fins). Contains only flexible spines ,may have a dark streak that runs through the eye from top of head downward . Eye round, its diameter about one fifth the into length length of head. It may have small dark spots along the sides.Distance from snout to anal origin greater than half of body length.Maximum length is 1.5 feet.10 large melanophores along dorsal surface of gut and anus, melanophores can be also along postanal and dorsal near caudal region,ventral surface of gut has a row of small melanophores.Colour very variable depending upon diet as well as environment, from green through brown to red, the green colour from pigments dispersed through skin, the red in special pigment cells, the brown in combination (Hart 1973).Teeth are sharp,pointed, apparent in post-larvae.

Dorsal fin KC-XCIV (Miller and Lea 1972).

Anal fin I,36-42 (Miller and Lea 1972); I,38-42 (Hart 1973).

Pectoral fin 15-16 (Hart 1973).

Mouth Terminal,small,with thick lips (Hart 1973).

Verebrae 96-101 (Miller and Lea 1972)

DISTRIBUTION: Southern California to southeast Alaska and Kodiak Island.In British Columbia on both coasts of Vancouver Island, the Strait of Georgia .Common in Burrard Inlet in September.Queen Charlotte Islands (Hart 1973). In costal or bay water blending with vegetation such as Sargassum spp.,Ulva spp., and Zostera spp.,settling on the bottom at ca. mm TL (Wilkie 1966).Pelagic,along coastal waters and bays. Horseshoe Cove and vicinity of Portero Power Plant on San Francisco Bay,Marconi Cove of Tomales Bay.

REPRODUCTION: Spawing occurs from January to March.The egg mass is coiled around by one or both parents.The incubation period is about two and two a half months.Newly hatched larvae average about 13mm, and the body is transparent and positively phototactic (Wilkie 1966).The age of maturity of the penpoint gunnel has not be documented in the literature.Growth appears to be rapid during the first year from 20 to 40 milimeters in April and May to 100 to 120 millimeters by the end of summer.

REFERENCES: J.L.Hart- Pacific Fishes of Canada(1973),Wilkie (1966)

 

 

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.

March 8 2003- Miroslav Lestanin

 

Ophiodon elongatus: Ling Cod-The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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LIFE HISTORY:

Spawning takes place from December to March .Females deposit their eggs in a mass under the rocks in shallow water .The eggs vary around 3.5 millimeters in diameter when water hardened and have a tough membranous shell.The newly hatched young are 7 to 10 millimeters long and have blue eyes.The yolk sac is absorbed in about 10 days .After a few weeks growth, the young fish are attracted to lights at night .Females reach 1 meter at 10 to 14 years .Male seldom exceed 1 meter in 12 years.Newly maturing females produces (60,000)100,000 to 150,000 eggs. Large females may produce as many as 500,000 eggs.

HART, J.L, Pacific Fishes of Canada, FISHERIES RESEARCH BOARD OF CANADA. Ottawa, 1973

IMPORTANT NOTES:

-Lingcod have been over fished in British Columbia to the extent that there is now a closure on the fishing .They have been protected at Race Rocks since the fishing closure in 1990 .Divers see them frequently in water 6 to 12 meters depth.Their eggs masses appear on vertical rock walls in protected niches the adult fish patrols and defends the egg mass from predators. It will attack divers during incubation period in January and February.

 

LING COD CONSERVATION

Report from the Vancouver Aquarium on Link Cod Egg mass surveys. http://www.vanaqua.org/lingcodsurvey/

From DFO press July, 2002: “Lingcod Conservation Measures Strengthened”

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA–Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced today the expansion of management measures in the recreational fishery for the protection of lingcod in the Strait of Georgia.

A 2001 Pacific Scientific Advice Review Committee (PSARC) report on lingcod confirmed that, despite a variety of conservation measures in recent years, lingcod stocks in the Strait of Georgia remain at low levels. Fisheries and Oceans Canada had delayed opening the Strait of Georgia recreational lingcod fishery pending further analysis of the PSARC information and review of additional material received from the recreational community.

After careful consideration of all the information, the Department has decided to maintain the recreational closure for lingcod fishing in the Strait of Georgia (Areas 13 to 19, and Areas 28 and 29). If a lingcod is incidentally caught in these Areas, it should then be immediately released back into the water. The recreational lingcod fishery will continue in the North Coast and on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Harvest by First Nations for food, social and ceremonial purposes will continue in the Strait of Georgia. The impact of this fishery is small.

Since 1990, the commercial lingcod fishery in the Strait of Georgia has been closed. In the recreational fishery, management measures have included an eight month winter closure (October to May) to protect nest guarding males, a size limit restriction (to allow a fish to reproduce prior to harvest), and daily and annual catch limits. However, until a sustained improvement is noted for these stocks of concern, the Department feels that additional measures are required.

Like rockfish, lingcod are believed to be fairly sedentary, livingmost of their lives in the same rocky area or subtidal reef. However, unlike rockfish, the mortality of lingcod in catch-and-release fisheries is low (less than 10 per cent).

As an important component of both the recreational and commercial groundfish fisheries, lingcod are also expected to benefit from the inshore rockfish conservation strategy that is being developedand implemented. Inshore rockfish conservation measures, such as fishing restrictions in selected areas on the coast, will assist with protecting and rebuilding both inshore rockfish and lingcod stocks. In addition, a stock assessment framework for lingcod will be developed, which will further our understanding of lingcod and their distribution.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada has made a commitment to ensure the sustainability of British Columbia’s inshore rockfish and lingcod fisheries for the benefit of Canadians today and in the future. With the cooperation of all harvesters, lingcod and inshore rockfish stocks can be protected and rebuilt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region

FISH BASE reference

Dec-2002- Fariba Hussaini, (PC yr 29)

CLASSIFICATION
Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Actinopterigii
Order Scorpaeniformes
Family Hexagrammidae
Subfamily Ophiodontinae
Genus Ophiodon
Species elongatus
Common Name: Lingcod

Anarrhichthys ocellatus: Wolf Eel –The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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Anarrhichthys ocellatus

wolfjas

This video shows Pearson College Diver Jason Reid with a wolf eel and was broadcast live in the Underwater Safari Program in October 1992

Description: Although the behaviors of the wolf eel are relatively limited at this moment, they still deem to be one of the most interesting species found in the waters. Its name originates from the greek word Anarhichas-– a fish in which the wolf eel resembles– and the latin word ocellatus which means eye-like spots. In general, Wolf-eels are easily to identify. There name suggests that they resemble eel like structures which range in colour from grey to brown or green. Starting from a young age, their coloration starts with a burnt orange spotted look graduallty changing into a dominant grey for males and brown for females. The males and females both have a dorsal fin that stretches from head to the end of their body. On average, a Wolf-eel is seen to possess a body of 2 meters long and characterized by a unique pattern of spots that appear to be individualized both in males and in females. In addition, the Wolf-eel possesses a large square head coupled with powerful jaws and canine teeth allowing for easier mastication– a beneficial adaptation to its environment of hard-shelled animals.
Classification:
Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Actinopterygii
SuperOrder Acanthoptergygii
Order Perciformes
SubOrder Zoarcoide
Family Anarhichadidae
Genus Anarrhichthys
Species ocellatus
Common Name: Wolf-eel

Habitat and Range: Wolf-eels can most abundantly be found from the sea of Japan and the Aleutian islands continuing southwards to imperial beach, Southern California. Wolf-eels live from barely subtidal waters to 740 feet (Love, 1996). The island of Racerocks is one of the sites in the Pacific Northwest in which the Wolf-eel can be found. Exploring the island, the most common places would be near the Rosedale reef and along the cliff near the docks. The rocky reefs and stony bottom shelves at shallow and moderate depths serve to be the abodes of the Wolf-eel. They will usually stake out a territory in a crevice, den or lair in the rocks. In addition, the Wolf-eel possesses a long, slender body which allows them to squeeze into their rocky homes. During the juveniles years of the Wolf-eel, they can most commonly be found in the upper part of the water, residing there for about two years. As the Wolf-eel ages, it will slowly migrate to the ocean floor and maintain an active lifestyle. Eventually, the Wolf-eel will find a rock shelter and “vegetate” for the remainder of its lifespan.

Diet: The adaptation of the Wolf-eel’s jaw to crush hard objects, as mentioned, deems to be beneficial for eating other organisms around its environment. The gourment delicacies that the Wolf-eel feeds upon are crustaceans, sea urchins, mussels, clams, snails some other fishes.

Mating and Other Interesting Facts: In aquaria, males and females form pairs at about 4 years of age and produce eggs at 7 years old. Spawning usually occurs from October into late winter. A male will butt his head against the female’s abdomen then wrap himself around her as a sign for a mating call. It has been found that the male fertilizes the eggs as they are laid and up to 10 000 eggs can be released at a single time. The father and mother will then wrap themselves around the egg masses and will guard the eggs for about 13-16 weeks when the eggs will then hatch. Possible predators that prey on the eggs include Benthic rockfishes and kelp greenlings. This process will continue periodically and repetitively for the lifespan of a Wolf-eel as it has been found that Wolf-eel’s mate for life.

Conservation Notes: At the moment, many fishers use rockhopper trawls to fish rough, rocky sea floors. This method causes the destruction of the rocky reefs in which the Wolf-eel resides. At the current moment, scientists are calling for a halt in the use of rockhopper trawls and an alternative method of using longline traps which don’t harm the rocky reefs.

References: Love, Milton, Probably more than you want to know about the fishes of the Pacific Coast: A humorous guide to Pacific fishes, California, Really Big Press, 1996, pg. 298
Lamb, Andy and Edgell, Phil, Coastal Fishes of the Pacific Northwest, BC Canada, Harbour Publishing, 1986, pg. 94.
Other members of the  Class Actinopterygii at Race Rocks.

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.
Dec. 2001 Zaheer Kanji, (PC) Edmonton Alberta

 

Underwater Safari- October 1992

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In October of 1992, the diving students of Pearson College were able to help with the underwater filming for the Canadian Underwater Safari production. This series of 24 one hour television programs was broadcast live to schools and museum audiences across Canada and the US on the Anik E2 Satellite. Since that time the programs have been broadcast across the world. We have made available at this location some of the unique underwater footage which was taken by the photographer Darryl Bainbridge. The project was an experiment in using technology along with many volunteer hours to help to bring the fragile ecology of this unique area to the world. Our thanks to B.C.Parks for the intial funding to launch the production. The Royal B.C. Museum and its staff , Shaw Cable, BC Systems, BC Tel and many volunteers who provided assistance with this project.

 This video is of Pearson College student Jason Reid ( PC yr. 18) discovering a wolf eel Anarrhichthys ocellatus while the program was broadcasting live. Cameraman Darryl Bainbridge followed the huge fish for some time and caught it feeding on a green sea urchin.

OTHER REFERENCES TO THIS PROGRAM ARE IN THESE POSTS: 

 https://www.racerocks.ca/tag/underwater-safari/

Living on a shelf off the North side of Great Rocks is a Wolf Eel often seen by divers. This very gentle fish cooperated with us for one session allowing some very interesting poses. On this dive, Jason Reid (LBPC year 18) encounters the wolf eel

 

The fish shows patience while looking for its favourite food

Jason offers the wolf eel a green urchin

as it eats, clouds of urchin roe puff out of he urchin

Swimming away with his “catch”

A harbour seal was inquisitive with the divers

A gentle nose to nose with a diver

 

There was a video published by the Friends of the Royal British Columbia Museum and authored by Brent Cooke and Roger  Frampton on the Underwater Safari program: the following gives information on it.

https://www.worldcat.org/title/canadian-underwater-safari/oclc/41934389#borrow

Diving with a Wolf Eel at Race Rocks

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In October of 1992, Lester Pearson College with the collaboration of the Royal BC Museum, and many volunteer organizations in the Victoria community helped to operate the week-long live TV program, ” Underwater Safari.” This video is of Pearson College student Jason Reid ( PC yr. 18) discovering a wolf eel Anarrhichthys ocellatus while the program was broadcasting live. Cameraman Darryl Bainbridge followed the huge fish for some time and caught it feeding on a green sea urchin.