Department of Fish and Game

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

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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)