9/26/2012 Help Identify This Fish I Caught ( Marina Del Rey)

[jae4323]

I caught like six of these little guys. What kind of fish is this? All of them were between 4 and 6 inches.

37306

I also caught a 9 inch sculpin and a 16inch Sand Bass.

37307

Sorry about the measurement in the picture. The wind was not cooperating with me that day.

[frankjz]

Looks like a cabezon to me. Did it have a blue mouth?

[lip rippin sob]

Johny bass?

[jae4323]

No i did not notice any blue on the fish

[jae4323]

It seems to have the same color as a johny bass... but in the google pictures its mouth is more narrow and a little longer.
Johny bass?

[Wingnut]

Probably a Green Rockfish... :Wink:

[cutbait]

Certainly not a cabby or a Johnny bass {Olive rockfish}

Im almost 100 percent positive its a Gopher


Not ruling out grassy, but body shape is typical Gopher, just sucks with the poor pic quality to make out the colorations/blotches

[IN2DEEP]

Probably a Green Rockfish... :Wink:
^^^
You might be thinking about a "Grass Rockfish"



They could have also been a "Kelp Rockfish" 37313
The ones that I've been seeing are light "sand" colored
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/nearshorefinfish/kelprockfish.asp

[madbass]

Looks like a sandie to me

[smokehound]

Grass rockfish.

[cutbait]

Im not sold on a grassy..

There called green bombers for a reason. Lots of copper in this fish. Shoulders are more pronounced like a gopher too...

Not disputing its a grassy though. I've caught hundreds of both

[jae4323]

Thanks to all for your responses. I am leaning more towards the guys that said Grass Rockfish.

This illustration makes me believe so :http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/nearshorefinfish/images/grassrockfish.jpg

I am so sorry about the quality of the picture. Next time I will make sure to take a better camera.

[cutbait]

Fwiw im leaning to a grassy as well, color is just throwing me for a loop.

We all know their colorations vary

[smokehound]

Yup. Extremely varied.

They do have a defining characteristic though.

The edge of their Gill cover lacks a dark spot.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c177/smokehound/IMG_20120517_083749.jpg

Here's a good up close pic of one I caught a while back.

Gophers have much bolder color to them, as well as much longer spines, with a sharper nose and their eyes are closer towards the snout.

[twin22s]

Grass rockfish i would say, i've caught many small rockfish inshore and i've never seen one that had the green color like in most fish ID charts. doesn't seem to have the defined color spots to be a calico rock or anything else. any thoughts on a brown rockfish?

[smokehound]

Brown rockfish have a dark spot on the Gill cover.

They also have longer spines than grassies.

[jae4323]

Great picture 'smokehound'! That is the identical fish i was catching that day.
Thanks for the help.