High cockscomb (Anoplarchus purpurescens)

Scientific name: Anoplarchus purpurescens Gill, 1861

High cockscomb (Anoplarchus purpurescens)

The High cockscomb (Anoplarchus purpurescens) is a marine fish of the family Stichaeidae. Native range: Eastern Pacific, Pribilof Islands, Alaska to Santa Rosa Island and Trinidad Bay, southern California, USA.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 55 - 58; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 39 - 40; Vertebrae: 58 - 61. Caudal with convex outer margin. Color very variable- may be light to dark gray with olivaceous overtones, brown to dark brown with or without reddish overtones, or purple to almost black. Females are less varied in color, but show more pattern, usually having green grayish backgrounds with brownish reticulations, or dark brownish backgrounds with subdued reticulation. Belly pale. In the males, the cockscomb and under surface of head are pale, rather yellowish, and without speckling. In the female, the head is more speckled and mottled. There is a gray bar across the base of the caudal peduncle. At breeding season, the male develops bright orange colors on its anal and pectoral fins, and reddish on the caudal and dorsal fins.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Anoplarchus purpurescens
Family
Stichaeidae (Pricklebacks)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
20.0
Depth range
1–30 m (3–98 ft)
Environment
Marine; demersal; depth range 1 - 30 m
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
Eastern Pacific: Pribilof Islands, Alaska to Santa Rosa Island and Trinidad Bay, southern California, USA.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=2-3; Fec=2,700)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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