Morgan Stickrod, USA
Info
Very special thanks for the first photo of a green colourmorph of Gibbonsia metzi to Morgan Stickrod, who has taken his photo at Pillar Point, El Granada, California and to Kent Van Vuren.
Kent has taken his photo at Carmel Pt., Carmel-By-The-Sea, California.
Clipperfishes or kelpfishes (Clinidae) inhabit temperate regions of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans with 26 genera and nearly 90 species. They occur in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Only four species live in the tropical Indo-Pacific. Preferred habitats are rocky shores and soft bottoms.
In the eastern Pacific (west coast of the United States), 4 species of kelpfish of the genus Gibbonsia are known:
Gibbonsia elegans (Cooper, 1864)
Gibbonsia evides (Jordan & Gilbert, 1883)
Gibbonsia metzi Hubbs, 1927
Gibbonsia montereyensis Hubbs, 1927
All 4 species are listed as secure, valid species by World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) and CAS Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes.
The Striped Kelpfish Gibbonsia metzi Hubbs, 1927 is geographically distributed in the lower intertidal zones along the eastern Pacific Ocean from British Columbia to Baja California Sur and feeds on marine invertebrates of the benthic epifauna.
This species is variable red or brown in color with dark stripes along the length of the body, bearing 34 - 37 dorsal spines at maturity.
The distribution and genetic variation of intertidal fishes in the genus Gibbonsia are influenced by their seasonal adaptability to hot and cold water temperatures.
The distribution patterns of these morphologically similar species: G. elegans, G. metzi, and G. montereyensis, suggests that a wider distribution reflects a greater capacity for extreme temperature adaptations.
The species Gibbonsia metzi has the widest distribution of the four total species and also exhibits the greatest cold adaptability, and is found among algae, especially in tide pools and kelp.
Synonyms:
Gibbonsia elegans montereyensis Hubbs, 1927
Gibbonsia erythra Hubbs, 1952
Kent has taken his photo at Carmel Pt., Carmel-By-The-Sea, California.
Clipperfishes or kelpfishes (Clinidae) inhabit temperate regions of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans with 26 genera and nearly 90 species. They occur in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Only four species live in the tropical Indo-Pacific. Preferred habitats are rocky shores and soft bottoms.
In the eastern Pacific (west coast of the United States), 4 species of kelpfish of the genus Gibbonsia are known:
Gibbonsia elegans (Cooper, 1864)
Gibbonsia evides (Jordan & Gilbert, 1883)
Gibbonsia metzi Hubbs, 1927
Gibbonsia montereyensis Hubbs, 1927
All 4 species are listed as secure, valid species by World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) and CAS Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes.
The Striped Kelpfish Gibbonsia metzi Hubbs, 1927 is geographically distributed in the lower intertidal zones along the eastern Pacific Ocean from British Columbia to Baja California Sur and feeds on marine invertebrates of the benthic epifauna.
This species is variable red or brown in color with dark stripes along the length of the body, bearing 34 - 37 dorsal spines at maturity.
The distribution and genetic variation of intertidal fishes in the genus Gibbonsia are influenced by their seasonal adaptability to hot and cold water temperatures.
The distribution patterns of these morphologically similar species: G. elegans, G. metzi, and G. montereyensis, suggests that a wider distribution reflects a greater capacity for extreme temperature adaptations.
The species Gibbonsia metzi has the widest distribution of the four total species and also exhibits the greatest cold adaptability, and is found among algae, especially in tide pools and kelp.
Synonyms:
Gibbonsia elegans montereyensis Hubbs, 1927
Gibbonsia erythra Hubbs, 1952
