Girella nigricans — Details

Opaleye learn more about names for this taxon

Overview

Comprehensive Description

Description

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Common names: opaleye (English), chopa (Espanol)
 
Girella nigricans (Ayres, 1860)

California opaleye



Body an elongate oval, moderately compressed;  head blunt, short; mouth small, square, lips thick, opens at the front; the top jawbone slips partially under the under-eye bone when the mouth is closed; teeth incisiform, bases set horizontally in mouth, with curved, hockey-stick shape, outer band of large movable teeth with flattened, 3-pointed tips; no teeth on central roof of mouth; dorsal fin continuous, XII-XIV (spines that fold down into a scaly groove, 12-15; anal rays III, 10-13; spines on fins short, thick; tail blunt, straight; paired fins are relatively short; origin of the pelvics behind the base of the pectoral fin; all fins blunt to rounded; scales small, thick and rough, covering the body, head (except the snout) and soft portions of the median fins; scales in midlateral series about 50.


Olive-green to grey-green; usually 2 pale spots on upper back below middle of dorsal fin (absent in large adults); often white bar across snout between eyes; eye bright blue-green; juvenile blue above, silvery below.

Size: 66 cm.

Habitat: demersal on rocky shores.

Depth: 1-32 m.

California to the southern Baja, an isolated population in the central and northern Gulf of California.

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Biology

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A resident intertidal species with homing behavior (Ref. 32612). Can leave tide pools if aquatic conditions become inhospitable (Ref. 31184). Also found near or over rocks and in kelp beds up to about 30 m depth. Feed mainly on seaweed, occasionally takes invertebrates. Form dense schools in spring in kelp beds. Pelagic spawner (Ref. 56049). Breathe air when out of water (Ref. 31184). Considered an important game fish and may incidentally be caught in commercial fishing activities (Ref. 9310). Marketed fresh (Ref. 9310).
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Distribution

Range Description

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This species is endemic to the Eastern Pacific, and is found from California to southern Baja, and an isolated population in the central and northern Gulf of California.
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Depth

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Depth Range (m): 1 (S) - 32 (S)
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Zoogeography

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See Map (including site records) of Distribution in the Tropical Eastern Pacific


 
Global Endemism: All species, East Pacific endemic, TEP non-endemic

Regional Endemism: All species, Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) non-endemic, Temperate Eastern Pacific, primarily, California province, primarily, Continent, Continent only

Residency: Vagrant

Climate Zone: North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California), Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)

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Eastern Central Pacific: San Francisco in California, USA to southern Baja California, Mexico.
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Physical Description

Morphology

Size

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Length max (cm): 66.0 (S)
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Size

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Maximum size: 660 mm TL
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Max. size

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66.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 2850)); max. reported age: 10 years (Ref. 56049)
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Ecology

Habitat

Habitat and Ecology

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Habitat and Ecology
This benthopelagic, non-migratory species inhabits the intertidal region. It can leave tide pools if aquatic conditions become inhospitable (Martin and Bridges, 1999). It is also found near or over rocks and in kelp beds up to about 30 m depth. It can form dense schools in spring in kelp beds, and breathes air when it is out of water (Martin and Bridges, 1999).

Systems
  • Marine
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Depth range based on 6 specimens in 1 taxon.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 1 sample.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 0.7625 - 3
  Temperature range (°C): 21.311 - 21.311
  Nitrate (umol/L): 0.144 - 0.144
  Salinity (PPS): 34.228 - 34.228
  Oxygen (ml/l): 5.074 - 5.074
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.352 - 0.352
  Silicate (umol/l): 3.264 - 3.264

Graphical representation

Depth range (m): 0.7625 - 3
 
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.
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Depth: 2 - 30m.
From 2 to 30 meters.

Habitat: demersal.
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Habitat

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Salinity: Marine, Marine Only

Inshore/Offshore: Inshore, Inshore Only

Water Column Position: Near Bottom, Bottom, Bottom + water column

Habitat: Reef (rock &/or coral), Reef only, Rocks, Macroalgae, Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)

FishBase Habitat: Bentho-Pelagic
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Environment

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benthopelagic; non-migratory; marine; depth range 2 - 30 m (Ref. 9310), usually 2 - 6 m (Ref. 9310)
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Trophic Strategy

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A nursery resident of tidepools, moving after 1-2 years of its juvenile phase to the subtidal zone where it spends its adult life (Ref. 45794). Lives in rocky regions and in seabeds (Ref. 9137).
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Feeding

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Feeding Group: Omnivore

Diet: benthic microalgae, benthic macroalgae, sessile crustacea, sessile worms, sessile molluscs
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Life History and Behavior

Life Cycle

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Pelagic spawner (Ref. 56049).
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Reproduction

Reproduction

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Egg Type: Pelagic, Pelagic larva
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Molecular Biology and Genetics

Molecular Biology

Barcode data: Girella nigricans

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The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species. 

 
There is 1 barcode sequence available from BOLD and GenBank.   Below is the sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen.  Other sequences that do not yet meet barcode criteria may also be available.
 
MFC085-08|MFC085|Girella nigricans| ------------------------------------------TTTTATTTAGTATTTGGTGCTTGAGCTGGAATAGTAGGGACAGCCCTA---AGCTTACTCATTCGAGCAGAACTCAGCCAACCCGGCGCTCTCCTGGGGGAT---GACCAGATTTATAATGTTATTGTTACAGCACACGCCTTCGTAATAATTTTCTTTATAGTAATACCAATCATGATTGGGGGCTTCGGAAACTGACTAATTCCACTAATA---ATCGGCGCCCCAGACATAGCATTTCCTCGGATAAATAATATAAGTTTCTGACTTCTTCCCCCCTCATTTCTACTCCTGCTTGCCTCCTCAGGAGTAGAAGCCGGCGCCGGCACGGGGTGAACCGTCTACCCCCCTCTTGCCGGCAACTTAGCTCATGCAGGAGCATCTGTAGACCTT---ACCATCTTTTCCCTTCACCTCGCCGGTGTCTCTTCAATCCTAGGGGCAATTAATTTTATTACAACTATTATTAACATAAAACCCCCAGCTATTTCACAGTATCAGACCCCCCTGTTTGTATGAGCAGTATTAATTACCGCTGTTCTCTTACTCCTATCCCTCCCAGTACTAGCCGCG---GGCATTACAATACTTCTTACGGACCGAAATTTAAACACCACCTTCTTTGACCCTGCCGGAGGAGGTGACCCCATCCTTTACCAACACTTA-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
-- end --

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Statistics of barcoding coverage: Girella nigricans

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Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 1
Species: 4
Species With Barcodes: 1

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Conservation

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List Assessment

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Red List Category
LC
Least Concern

Red List Criteria

Version
3.1

Year Assessed
2010

Assessor/s
Allen, G., Robertson, R.

Reviewer/s
Carpenter, K., Polidoro, B., Livingstone, S. (Global Marine Species Assessment Team)

Contributor/s

Justification
This species is relatively widespread in the Eastern Pacific, and the northern coastal California population is common. There are no known major threats to this species, and no current indication of population decline. It is listed as Least Concern. However, concern exists for the Gulf of California population which is considered rare and may be genetically different.
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Conservation status

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IUCN Red List: Not evaluated / Listed

CITES: Not listed
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Population

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Population
The population is apparently stable in California, but in the Gulf of California, this species is considered rare.

Population Trend
Stable
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Threats

Threats

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Major Threats
There are no major threats known for this species.
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Least Concern (LC)
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Management

Conservation Actions

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Conservation Actions
There are no known conservation measures for this species. However, this species distribution falls partially into a number of Marine Protected Areas in the Eastern Pacific region (WDPA 2006).
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Relevance to Humans and Ecosystems

Benefits

Importance

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fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
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