Rock greenling
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Family: Hexagrammidae
Genus: Hexagrammos
Species:
H. lagocephalus
Binomial name
Hexagrammos lagocephalus
(Pallas, 1810)
Synonyms[2]
  • Labrax lagocephalus Pallas, 1810
  • Labrax superciliosus Pallas, 1810
  • Hexagrammos superciliosus (Pallas, 1810)
  • Lebius superciliosus (Pallas, 1810)
  • Chirus pictus Girard, 1854
  • Chirus balias Cope, 1873
  • Hexagrammus scaber Bean, 1881

The rock greenling (Hexagrammos lagocephalus) is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Hexagrammidae, the greenlings.[3][4] It is sometimes known as fringed greenling and erroneously as the red rock trout.[5]

Taxonomy

The rock greenling was first formally described in 1810 as Labrax lagocephalus by the German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas with its type locality given as the Kuril Islands.[6] The specific name, lagocephalus, means "harehead", an name not explained by Pallas but may refer to the rounded, rabbit like snout.[7]

Appearance

The fish is maroon, with blue spot that fades to bright red.[3] The color pattern helps it blend in with its natural environment. It grows to up to 24 in (60 cm) long.[4] Most adult have blue mouths,[8] while the young have bright red eyes.[5] The flesh is also blue in color, but turns into white after cooked.[9]

Behavior

The species is usually solitary, but not aggressive, which has led to easy husbandry in public aquaria. It is sometimes cryptic, however, and often elusive to divers and spear fishermen, as they prefer living among the rock in the heavy surge.[5]

Diet

Hexagrammos lagocephalus is a generalized feeder, eating everything from invertebrates such as crabs and isopods to fish eggs and algae. When young, the fish eat zooplankton.

Range

The rock greenling's natural distribution is along the Pacific Coast the Kuril Islands[6] and the Bering Sea to the coast of southern California. Its habitat of choice is rocky shoreline.[4] Sometimes, though, they can be found in tidepools and sandy areas.[5]

Economic value

Though not commonly commercially fished like the related lingcod, they are a popular gamefish. Most live among areas impossible to fish by commercial boats.[5] They are commonly caught by sport fishers off exposed rocky shores.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Berger, A.M. & Cope, J.M. (2020). "Hexagrammos lagocephalus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T158882544A158883843. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T158882544A158883843.en. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  2. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2022). "Hexagrammos lagocephalus" in FishBase. August 2022 version.
  3. 1 2 The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Fishes, Whales & Dolphins. Chanticleer Press. 1983. p. 725.
  4. 1 2 3 Pacific Coast Inshore Fishes. Sea Challengers. 1981. p. 50.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Coastal Fishes of the Pacific Northwest. Harbour Publishing CO. LTD. 1986. p. 128.
  6. 1 2 Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Hexagrammos". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  7. ↑ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (18 July 2021). "Order Perciformes: Suborder Cottoidea: Infraorder Hexagrammales: Family Hexagrammidae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  8. 1 2 Peterson Field Guide: Pacific Coast Fishes. Houghton Mifflin Company. 1983. pp. 155–156.
  9. ↑ "Alaska fisherman hooks and cooks blue-fleshed fish: 'Mother Nature is incredible'". Fox 2 Detroit. September 19, 2023.
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