COMMON MARINE FISHES 



87 





BARRED PERCH 



Amphistichus argenfeus 



Relationship: A member of the salt-water perch family, Embiotocidae. 



Distinguishing Characters: See page 76. The dorsal spines which are only 

 about three-fourths the height of the dorsal rays ; the anal fin which appears to be 

 divided into two sets of rays ; the series of brassy-olive vertical bars alternating with 

 a series of spots which are normally found on the sides. Length to about 16 inches. 

 Color: Silver, tinged with bluish or grayish above ; plain silvery on the sides and belly : 

 usually barred and spotted as described above. Occasionally a uniform brassy olive 

 above and silvery below, sometimes with a few silvery streaks on the sides. 



Distribution: Central and Southern California, common along sandy coasts. 



Fishing Season: All year excepting the closed commercial season. 



Importance: Forms a small proportion of the "perch" catch. Caught in con- 

 siderable numbers by surf fishermen, it is one of the leading sport species in the family. 



Fishing Gear: Gill nets, round haul nets, hook and line. 



Unauthorized Names: Sand perch, surf perch, silver perch. 



Note: Two fairly close relatives of this fish are also rather important sport species. One, the redtail perch. 

 Holconotus rhodoterus, ranges from the \icinity of San Francisco north to the Straiis of .luan de Fuca. Its sides 

 are more or less barred with reddish or brownish and the caudal and anal fins are bright reddish. The longest dorsal 

 spines are longer than the dorsal rays. The other. Crossochir koeizi, has about the same distribution as the barred 

 perch. It is speckled, sometimes faintly barred, with brown; the sides and belly may be tinged with red. 



