The shiner perch ( Cymatogaster aggregata) is a common surfperch found in estuaries, lagoons, and coastal streams along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja California. It is the sole member of its genus. The shiner perch is also known as seven-eleven and shiner seaperch.
Description
Shiner perch is similar to
tule perch; it is deep-bodied with a dusky greenish back and silvery sides that have a pattern combining fine horizontal bars with three broad yellow vertical bars. Breeding males turn almost entirely black, the barred pattern being obscured by dark speckles. Shiner perch is distinguished from tule perch by having fewer
dorsal fin spines, just 8–9 vs the 15–19 of the tule perch. The rayed part of the dorsal fin has 18 to 23 rays. The
anal fin has 3 spines followed by 22–25 rays.
Shiner perch can reach a maximum length of , but are most commonly under in Fish measurement.
Habitat and ecology
Shiner perch range from Punta Baja, Northern Baja California, to Saint John Baptist Bay near Sitka in Southeastern
Alaska.
It is one of the most common fish in the bays and estuaries of its range, favoring beds of Zostera, and often accumulating around piers as well. While typically residing in shallow waters, it has been observed at depths up to . It can also live in .
It primarily feeds on zooplankton such as and Gammaridea, but has also been observed to feed on bottom species like small , , and Mollusca.
Fishery
Due to its small size, there is a very limited targeted fishery for the shiner perch, with an average commercial catch of per year.
It is often taken incidentally or for bait at piers, and is one of the most, if not the most, commonly caught fish out of west coast piers. The shiner perch is often also used in
Orient and other ethnic dishes, fried whole or dried out.
Parasitism
It is often found with parasitic isopods such as
Elthusa californica, feeding off of them from their opercular cavity of the gill chamber.
