Posts Tagged Hermosa Beach Pier

Pacific Sardine

            Photo courtesy of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Species: Sardinops sagax (Jenyns, 1842); from the Latin word sardine  (sardina), the Greek word ops  (like), and the Latin word sagux  (of quick perception, acute or alert). Alternate Names: Pilchard, ‘dines, dinies (small sardines) and dinos, firecrackers (small sardines), rhinos [...]

Basketweave Cusk-Eel

Order Ophidiformes  Cusk-Eels—Family Ophidiidae Cusk-eel (Photo courtesy of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science) Species: Ophidion scrippsae  (Hubbs, 1916); from the words otophidium (referring to the large sacklike inner ear) and scrippsae  (in honor of Ellen Browning Scripps who helped establish the Scripps Institution of Oceanography). Alternate Names: Eel or California cusk-eel. In Mexico they’re [...]

Pacific Snake Eel

Snake Eels—Family Ophichthidae Pacific (Spotted) snake eel from the Hermosa Beach Pier in 2007 Species: Ophichthus triserialis (Kaup, 1856); Ophichthus, from two Greek words meaning serpent and fish, and the Greek triserialis, meaning three-rowed referring to the pattern of spots Alternate Names: Spotted Snake Eel. Identification: Typical snake or eel-like shape with a spike-like tail [...]

California Lizardfish

Order Myctophiformes  Lizardfish—Family Synodontidae Lizardfish, Avila Pier in 2013 Species: Synodus lucioceps (Ayres, 1855); from the Greek word synodus (the ancient name of a fish in which the teeth meet), and the Latin word lucioceps  (pike head). Alternate Names: Gar, barracuda, candlefish. Called lagarto lucio or chile lucio in Mexico. Identification: They are cylindrical shaped [...]

Queenfish

Croakers—Family Sciaeidae Queenfish from the Ventura Pier in 2011 Species: Seriphus politus (Ayres, 1860); from the Greek word seriph (a kind of locust, an island near Greece, or a kind of wormwood—take your pick. Evidently, the scientist who gave the fish its scientific name, a Dr. Ayres, never specified why he used this name.), the [...]