Porichthys notatus
Plainfin Midshipman
NS
G5
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Batrachoidiformes
Batrachoididae (Toadfishes)
Porichthys
Porichthys notatus (Plainfin Midshipman)
Description
This species account was compiled from
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Characters
Body shape: elongated. Caudal fin rounded and narrow; pectorals broad (Ref. 6885). Olive brown to bronze or dark iridescent purple on dorsal surface, paler on sides with a golden yellow on ventral surface; white space under eye with a black crescent below; white on posterior edge of maxillary; young with a weak dark dorsal saddle (Ref. 6885). Branchiostegal rays: 6 (Ref. 36489).
Distribution
Eastern Pacific: Sitka, Alaska to Magdalena Bay, southern Baja California, Mexico. Records from areas south of Baja California and in the Gulf of California are in error. Two populations exist, one from Oregon northward and the other from San Francisco southward (Ref. 2850).
Habitat Associations
Marine. demersal. depth range 0-366 m.
Biology
Ranges from intertidal areas (where they may remain out of water under rocks or seaweeds, Ref. 31184) to deeper water over sand and mud bottoms (Ref. 4925). Adults make vertical migrations at night (Ref. 6885). Feed on crustaceans and fishes (Ref. 6885). Oviparous with eggs and larvae attached to nest wall (Ref. 36489). Nest is guarded by male (Ref. 36489). Important prey item for seals and sea lions (Ref. 2850). Adults breathe air when out of water (Ref. 31184). Possess photophores which are arranged on the underside of the head in a 'U' fashion.
Max length: 38.0 cm TL.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; guarders (nesters); parental care: paternal. Nests are cavities that are formed under rocks and eggs are deposited on the roof of the cavity. As few as 19 or as much as 789 eggs have been found attached in a nest. Eggs are guarded by the fasting male. Probably polygamous (Ref. 6885).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2007-05-22. Resilience: Medium (tm=3.5; tmax=7).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: of potential interest.
References
Eschmeyer, W.N., E.S. Herald and H. Hammann (1983) A field guide to Pacific coast fishes of North America. Boston (MA, USA): Houghton Mifflin Company. xii+336 p.
Allen, M.J. and G.B. Smith (1988) Atlas and zoogeography of common fishes in the Bering Sea and northeastern Pacific. NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS 66, 151 p.
Hart, J.L. (1973) Pacific fishes of Canada. Bull. Fish. Res. Board Can. 180:740 p.
Watson, W. (1996) Batrachoididae: toadfishes, midshipman. p. 546-547. In H.G. Moser (ed.) The early stages of fishes in the California Current Region. California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) Atlas No. 33. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 1505 p.
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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