Kelp greenling

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Species of fish

title: "Kelp greenling" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["hexagrammos", "fish-of-the-pacific-ocean", "fauna-of-alaska", "fauna-of-western-canada", "fish-described-in-1810", "taxa-named-by-peter-simon-pallas"] description: "Species of fish" topic_path: "geography/canada" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelp_greenling" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Species of fish ::

| image = Hexagrammos decagrammus (male).jpg | image2 = Hexagrammos decagrammus (female).jpg | image2_caption = Male (top) and female (bottom) | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = | taxon = Hexagrammos decagrammus | authority = (Pallas, 1810) | synonyms =

  • Labrax decagrammus Pallas, 1810
  • Chiropsis decagrammus (Pallas, 1810)
  • Chirus denarius Richardson, 1844
  • Grystes lineatus Ayres, 1854
  • Chirus guttatus Girard, 1854
  • Chirus constellatus Girard, 1854
  • Chirus maculoseriatus Lockington, 1880 | synonyms_ref =

The kelp greenling (Hexagrammos decagrammus) is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Hexagrammidae, the greenlings. It occurs in the eastern Pacific Ocean

Species description and etymology

The kelp greenling was first formally described in 1810 as Labrax decagrammus by the German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas with its type locality given as Cape St. Elias in Alaska. The specific name, decagrammus, means "ten lines" refers to the 5 lateral line canals on each flank, giving a total of 10.

Description

Kelp greenlings 21 or 22 spines in their first dorsal fin and 24 soft rays in their second dorsal fin while the anal fin contains a single spine and 23 or 24 soft rays. This species has a maximum published total length of 61 cm and a maximum published weight of 2.1 kg.

Distribution and habitat

The kelp greenling is found in the eastern pacific Ocean where its range extends from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska to La Jolla in southern California. This species occurs in rocky nearshore areas of the northern is common on kelp beds and on sand bottoms.

Biology

Kelp greenlings feed on crustaceans, polychaete worms, brittle stars, mollusks, and small fishes. The young are food for large predators such as steelhead and salmon.

Fishing

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Kelp_Greenling_at_the_Shedd_Aquarium.jpg" caption="Kelp greenling at the [[Shedd Aquarium"] ::

This species is frequently caught by hook and line, fishing from shore or skiff, as well as speared by divers. They are commonly caught by fishermen targeting other species, and are often viewed as pests, despite their scrappy fight and tasty flesh. They are easily caught around rocky cliffs and kelp beds, and respond to a wide variety of natural and artificial baits.

References

References

  1. Cope, J.M.. (2020). "Hexagrammos decagrammus".
  2. {{FishBase. Hexagrammos. decagrammus. (2022)
  3. {{Cof genus
  4. (18 July 2021). "Order Perciformes: Suborder Cottoidea: Infraorder Hexagrammales: Family Hexagrammidae". Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara.
  5. "Kelp greenling (''Hexagrammos decagrammus'')". Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife.

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hexagrammosfish-of-the-pacific-oceanfauna-of-alaskafauna-of-western-canadafish-described-in-1810taxa-named-by-peter-simon-pallas