DockRat
06-28-2010, 06:16 AM
Surf Fish Population Study
Surf fishes form the basis of a very popular recreational fishery in southern California. In 2008 an estimated 576,000 angler trips were made by nearshore anglers who caught surfperch, croakers, or California corbina, according to RecFIN data.
Despite the predominance of sandy beaches in the Southern California Bight (SCB), relatively little information exists on the surf zone fish community. In particular, spatial and temporal abundance information on surf fishes is lacking. The objectives of this study are to determine changes in surf fish abundances over time, among sites with differing exposure to wave action, and relative to tide heights and tidal movements. Results from this study will be compared to similar DFG studies completed in the 1950s and 1990s.
Study Methods
Monthly beach seine sets at four sites
(Bolsa Chica State Beach, Seal Beach, Belmont Shore, Hermosa Beach) within the SCB were conducted from June, 2007 through August, 2009. Beach seines are fishing nets with floats at the top and weights at the bottom to keep them open. Nets are set in about 10 feet of water and dragged to shore along the ocean bottom. Every fish caught in the net was identified, measured, and released. Sport fishes of interest (California corbina, spotfin croaker, yellowfin croaker, barred surfperch, and walleye surfperch) that were large enough to hold a t-bar tag and appeared to be in good condition were tagged prior to release. You may view pictures of these and other common surf zone fishes.
What to do if you catch a tagged fish
Each tag has a unique ID number and a DFG phone number for anglers to call when they catch a tagged fish. Anglers are asked to provide the following information when reporting a tagged fish:
tag number
date caught
general location or GPS coordinates
total length (estimated or measured)
any additional information
Flyers have been posted at local bait shops and piers to inform anglers about the study. Results from this tagging study will help determine the seasonal and annual movement patterns of these fishes.
Findings to Date
As of June 2009, project staff have completed 337 hauls and caught about 24,800 fish consisting of 45 species. The average number of fish per haul was around 74, but as many as 2,200 fish have been caught in a single haul.
Rank Common Name Scientific Name Abundance
1 queenfish Seriphus politus 5293
2 Pacific sardine Sardinops sagax 4268
3 yellowfin croaker Umbrina roncador 3576
4 walleye surfperch Hyperprosopon argenteum 2017
5 topsmelt Atherinops affinis 1873
6 California corbina Menticirrhus undulatus 1627
7 round stingray Urobatis halleri 1557
8 jacksmelt Atherinopsis californiensis 995
9 spotfin croaker Roncador stearnsii 713
10 barred surfperch Amphistichus argenteus 482
11 white croaker Genyonemus lineatus 416
12 deepbody anchovy Anchoa compressa 404
13 salema Xenistius californiensis 303
14 California halibut Paralichthys californicus 208
15 shiner perch Cymatogaster aggregata 192
16 bat ray Myliobatis californica 188
17 shovelnose guitarfish Rhinobatos productus 163
18 Pacific chub mackerel Scomber japonicus 90
18 striped mullet Mugil cephalus 90
19 leopard shark Triakis semifasciata 59
20 California needlefish Strongylura exilis 47
21 white seabass Atractoscion nobilis 45
22 gray smoothhound Mustelus californicus 35
23 Pacific barracuda Sphyraena argentea 28
24 jack mackerel Trachurus symmetricus 21
25 barcheek pipefish Syngnathus exilis 20
26 California butterfly ray Gymnura marmorata 17
27 Pacific pompano Peprilus simillimus 12
28 northern anchovy Engraulis mordax 9
29 diamond turbot Pleuronichthys guttulatus 8
30 thornback Platyrhinoidis triseriata 7
30 zebraperch Hermosilla azurea 7
31 giant kelpfish Heterostichus rostratus 6
32 Pacific staghorn sculpin Leptocottus armatus 5
32 barred sand bass Paralabrax nebulifer 5
33 black perch Embiotoca jacksoni 4
34 California grunion Leuresthes tenuis 3
34 pile perch Rhacochilus vacca 3
34 kelp bass Paralabrax clathratus 3
35 white seaperch Phanerodon furcatus 2
35 Mexican lookdown Selene brevoortii 2
36 speckled sanddab Citharichthys stigmaeus 1
36 bonefish Albula sp. A 1
36 dwarf perch Micrometrus minimus 1
36 sargo Anisotremus davidsonii 1
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/scuba/surfzone.asp
Surf fishes form the basis of a very popular recreational fishery in southern California. In 2008 an estimated 576,000 angler trips were made by nearshore anglers who caught surfperch, croakers, or California corbina, according to RecFIN data.
Despite the predominance of sandy beaches in the Southern California Bight (SCB), relatively little information exists on the surf zone fish community. In particular, spatial and temporal abundance information on surf fishes is lacking. The objectives of this study are to determine changes in surf fish abundances over time, among sites with differing exposure to wave action, and relative to tide heights and tidal movements. Results from this study will be compared to similar DFG studies completed in the 1950s and 1990s.
Study Methods
Monthly beach seine sets at four sites
(Bolsa Chica State Beach, Seal Beach, Belmont Shore, Hermosa Beach) within the SCB were conducted from June, 2007 through August, 2009. Beach seines are fishing nets with floats at the top and weights at the bottom to keep them open. Nets are set in about 10 feet of water and dragged to shore along the ocean bottom. Every fish caught in the net was identified, measured, and released. Sport fishes of interest (California corbina, spotfin croaker, yellowfin croaker, barred surfperch, and walleye surfperch) that were large enough to hold a t-bar tag and appeared to be in good condition were tagged prior to release. You may view pictures of these and other common surf zone fishes.
What to do if you catch a tagged fish
Each tag has a unique ID number and a DFG phone number for anglers to call when they catch a tagged fish. Anglers are asked to provide the following information when reporting a tagged fish:
tag number
date caught
general location or GPS coordinates
total length (estimated or measured)
any additional information
Flyers have been posted at local bait shops and piers to inform anglers about the study. Results from this tagging study will help determine the seasonal and annual movement patterns of these fishes.
Findings to Date
As of June 2009, project staff have completed 337 hauls and caught about 24,800 fish consisting of 45 species. The average number of fish per haul was around 74, but as many as 2,200 fish have been caught in a single haul.
Rank Common Name Scientific Name Abundance
1 queenfish Seriphus politus 5293
2 Pacific sardine Sardinops sagax 4268
3 yellowfin croaker Umbrina roncador 3576
4 walleye surfperch Hyperprosopon argenteum 2017
5 topsmelt Atherinops affinis 1873
6 California corbina Menticirrhus undulatus 1627
7 round stingray Urobatis halleri 1557
8 jacksmelt Atherinopsis californiensis 995
9 spotfin croaker Roncador stearnsii 713
10 barred surfperch Amphistichus argenteus 482
11 white croaker Genyonemus lineatus 416
12 deepbody anchovy Anchoa compressa 404
13 salema Xenistius californiensis 303
14 California halibut Paralichthys californicus 208
15 shiner perch Cymatogaster aggregata 192
16 bat ray Myliobatis californica 188
17 shovelnose guitarfish Rhinobatos productus 163
18 Pacific chub mackerel Scomber japonicus 90
18 striped mullet Mugil cephalus 90
19 leopard shark Triakis semifasciata 59
20 California needlefish Strongylura exilis 47
21 white seabass Atractoscion nobilis 45
22 gray smoothhound Mustelus californicus 35
23 Pacific barracuda Sphyraena argentea 28
24 jack mackerel Trachurus symmetricus 21
25 barcheek pipefish Syngnathus exilis 20
26 California butterfly ray Gymnura marmorata 17
27 Pacific pompano Peprilus simillimus 12
28 northern anchovy Engraulis mordax 9
29 diamond turbot Pleuronichthys guttulatus 8
30 thornback Platyrhinoidis triseriata 7
30 zebraperch Hermosilla azurea 7
31 giant kelpfish Heterostichus rostratus 6
32 Pacific staghorn sculpin Leptocottus armatus 5
32 barred sand bass Paralabrax nebulifer 5
33 black perch Embiotoca jacksoni 4
34 California grunion Leuresthes tenuis 3
34 pile perch Rhacochilus vacca 3
34 kelp bass Paralabrax clathratus 3
35 white seaperch Phanerodon furcatus 2
35 Mexican lookdown Selene brevoortii 2
36 speckled sanddab Citharichthys stigmaeus 1
36 bonefish Albula sp. A 1
36 dwarf perch Micrometrus minimus 1
36 sargo Anisotremus davidsonii 1
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/scuba/surfzone.asp