Misplaced Pages

List of fishes of the Salish Sea

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

The Salish Sea, showing the Strait of Georgia near centre, the Strait of Juan de Fuca below, Puget Sound at the lower right, Johnstone Strait at the extreme upper left, and the Pacific Ocean at lower left. Sediment from the Fraser River is visible as a greenish plume in the Strait of Georgia.

There are at least 253 identified species of fish known to inhabit the marine and brackish regions of the Salish Sea. Species are listed by common name, scientific name, typical occurrence within the Salish Seas regions.

Salish Sea regions: JF=Strait of Juan de Fuca; SJ=San Juan Islands; BB=Bellingham Bay; SG=southern Strait of Georgia; NG=northern Strait of Georgia; NS=northern Puget Sound; SS=southern Puget Sound; HC=Hood Canal.

Myxiniformes (Hagfish)

Myxinidae

Petromyzontiformes (Lampreys)

Petromyzontidae

Chimaeriformes (Ratfish)

Chimaeridae

Lamniformes (Mackerel Sharks)

Alopiidae (Thresher sharks)

Cetorhinidae (Basking sharks)

Lamnidae (Mackerel sharks)

Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks)

color photo of shark in kelp
Leopard shark

Scyliorhinidae (Cat sharks)

Triakidae (Hound sharks)

Carcharhinidae (Requiem sharks)

Hexanchiformes (Six-gill sharks)

Hexanchidae (Cow sharks)

Squaliformes (Dogfish sharks)

Squalidae (Dogfish sharks)

Somniosidae (Sleeper sharks)

Squatiniformes (Angel sharks)

color photo of fish on bottom
Pacific angelshark

Squatinidae

Torpediniformes (Electric rays)

Torpedinidae

Rajiformes (Skates)

Rajidae

Acipenseriformes (Sturgeons)

large fish on black background
White Sturgeon

Acipenseridae

Anguilliformes (Eels)

Nemichthyidae (Snipe eels)

Clupeiformes (Herrings)

Engraulidae (Anchovies)

Clupeidae (Herrings and sardines)

Cypriniformes (Carps)

Cyprinidae (Minnows and carps)

Argentiniformes (Marine smelts)

Bathylagidae (Deep sea smelts)

Osmeriformes (Freshwater smelts)

Osmeridae (Smelts)

Salmoniformes (Trouts)

two fish swimming
Coastal cutthroat trout

Salmonidae (Trouts and salmons)

Stomiiformes (Dragonfishes)

Sternoptychidae (Marine hatchetfishes)

Stomiidae (Dragonfishes)

Aulopiformes (Lizardfishes)

Synodontidae

Alepisauridae (Lancetfishes)

Paralepididae (Barracudinas)

Myctophiformes (Lanternfishes)

Myctophidae

Lampriformes (Opahs)

Lampridae

  • Opah Lampris guttatus, JF NS

Trachipteridae (Ribbonfishes)

Gadiformes (Cods)

Merlucciidae (Merlucciid hakes)

Gadidae (Cods)

Ophidiiformes (Cusk-eels)

Bythitidae (Viviparous brotulas)

Ophidiidae (Cusk-eels)

Batrachoidiformes (Toadfishes)

Batrachoididae

Beloniformes (Needlefishes)

Scomberesocidae (Sauries)

Cyprinodontiformes (Killfishes)

Cyprinodontidae (Pupfishes)

Gasterosteiformes (Sticklebacks)

Aulorhynchidae (Tubesnouts)

  • Tubesnout Aulorhynchus flavidus, JF SJ BB SG NG NS SS HC

Gasterosteidae (Sticklebacks)

Syngnathidae (Pipefishes)

  • Bay pipefish Syngnathus leptorhynchus, JF SJ BB SG NG NS SS HC

Scorpaeniformes (Mail-cheeked fishes)

picture of colorful fish
Tiger rockfish

Scorpaenidae (Scorpionfishes)

Anoplopomatidae (Sablefishes)

fish laying on bottom
Sablefish
  • Sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria, JF SJ BB SG NG NS SS HC

Hexagrammidae (Greenlings)

Rhamphocottidae (Grunt sculpins)

  • Grunt sculpin Rhamphocottus richardsonii, JF SJ BB SG NG NS SS HC

Cottidae (Sculpins)

color image of spiny fish
Longfin sculpin
Colorful green fish
Fluffy sculpin

Hemitripteridae (Spiny sculpins)

colorful fish on black background
Sailfin sculpin

Agonidae (Poachers)

colorful fish on black background
Fourhorn poacher

Psychrolutidae (Fathead sculpins)

Cyclopteridae (Lumpfishes)

Liparidae (Snailfishes)

Perciformes (Perches)

Moronidae (Temperate basses)

Carangidae (Jacks)

Bramidae (Pomfrets)

Sciaenidae (Drums and croakers)

Embiotocidae (Surfperches)

Bathymasteridae (Ronquils)

slender fish on black background
Northern ronquil

Zoarcidae (Eelpouts)

Stichaeidae (Pricklebacks)

Cryptacanthodidae (Wrymouths)

Pholidae (Gunnels)

Anarhichadidae (Wolffishes)

  • Wolf eel Anarrhichthys ocellatus, JF SJ BB SG NS SS HC

Ptilichthyidae (Quillfishes)

Zaproridae (Prowfishes)

Scytalinidae (Graveldivers)

Trichodontidae (Sandfishes)

Ammodytidae (Sand lances)

Icosteida (Ragfishes)

  • Ragfish Icosteus aenigmaticus, JF SJ SG NS SS

Gobiesocidae (Clingfishes)

Gobiidae (Gobies)

  • Arrow goby Clevelandia ios, JF SJ BB SG NG NS SS HC
  • Bay goby Lepidogobius lepidus, JF SJ BB SG NG NS SS HC
  • Blackeye goby Rhinogobiops nicholsii, JF SJ SG NG NS SS HC

Sphyraenidae (Barracudas)

Trichiuridae (Cutlassfishes)

Scombridae (Mackerels)

Stromateidae (Butterfishes)

Pleuronectiformes (Flatfishes)

Paralichthyidae (Sand flounders)

Pleuronectidae (Righteye flounders)

flatfish on black background
Rock sole

Cynoglossidae (Tonguefishes)

Tetraodontiformes (Plectognaths)

Molidae (Molas)

Notes

  1. Pietsch, Theodore W.; Orr, James W. (September 2015). NOAA Professional Paper NMFS 18-Fishes of the Salish Sea: a compilation and distributional analysis (PDF) (Report). National Marine Fisheries Service. pp. 6–11. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  2. ^ Species (and hybrid) new to the marine ichthyofauna of the Salish Sea, added since the most recently published checklist (Miller and Borton, 1980)
  3. ^ Primarily freshwater species
  4. Brown, Scott (15 Aug 2014). "SHARK WEEK: 14 sharks, including the Great White, swim in B.C. waters and more are coming". Vancouver Sun, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  5. Personius, Ethan M.; Schulte, Jessica M.; Hillier, Lisa; Lowry, Dayv; English, Maddie; Chapple, Taylor K. (2024). "Observation of the critically endangered soupfin shark (Galeorhinus galeus) in the Changing Salish Sea". Frontiers in Marine Science. 11. doi:10.3389/fmars.2024.1420721.
  6. ^ Name changes introduced since the most recently published checklist (Miller and Borton, 1980)
  7. ^ Introduced species
  8. ^ Anadromous species
Categories: