Pholis gunnellus
Rock Gunnel
NS
G5
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Pholidae (Gunnels)
Pholis
Pholis gunnellus (Rock Gunnel)
Description
This species account was compiled from
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Characters
Body shape: eel-like. Ribbon - shaped body with 9 - 13 eye spots along the base of the dorsal fin (Ref. 35388).
Distribution
North Atlantic: Kanin Peninsula southward to La Rochelle (including White Sea, North Sea and Baltic), also Iceland, but not eastern Greenland, Spitzbergen or Novaya Zemlya. Western Atlantic: Labrador, Canada to Delaware Bay, USA (Ref. 7251).
Habitat Associations
Brackish, marine. demersal. depth range 0-100 m.
Biology
Occurs in shallow waters (seashore, tide pools), but descends (especially in winter) to 100 m or more. May remain out of water under rocks or seaweeds (Ref. 31184). Feeds on small crustaceans, polychaetes, mollusks and fish eggs. The eggs are laid on the sea bed in a large clump, which is closely guarded until hatched (Ref. 9900). Breathes air when out of water (Ref. 31184). Spawning occur in November - January . Female lays 80-200 eggs in a large ball under a stone or in an empty bivalve shell (Ref. 35388).
Max length: 25.0 cm SL; max age: 5 years.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; guarders; parental care: biparental. Male and female coil around the egg ball (Ref. 58332).
IUCN Red List Status: N.E. (N.E.). Resilience: Medium (tm=1-3; K=0.18-0.29; tmax=12).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: of no interest; aquarium: commercial.
References
Makushok, V.M. (1986) Pholididae. p. 1124-1125. In P.J.P. Whitehead, M.-L. Bauchot, J.-C. Hureau, J. Nielsen and E. Tortonese (eds.) Fishes of the North-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 3.
Wosnitza, C.V. (1975) Die Nahrung von Fischbrut in der westlichen Ostee. Ber. dt. wiss. Kommn. Meereforsch. 24:79-92.
Muus, B.J. and J.G. Nielsen (1999) Sea fish. Scandinavian Fishing Year Book, Hedehusene, Denmark. 340 p.
Mecklenburg, C.W. (2003) Family Pholidae Gill 1893 - gunnels. Calif. Acad. Sci. Annotated Checklists of Fishes (9):11.
Coleman, R.M. (1999) Parental care in intertidal fishes. p. 165-180. In M.H. Horn, K.l. Martin and M.A. Chotkowski (eds.) Intertidal fishes: life in two worlds. Academic Press, USA. 399 p.
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