Fisheries of the Pacific Coast of Canada

DFO - L brary MPO - B bliothèque 111111111111111111111111 _t 4 . 1 \^ ' , 110,4;e-ell 1,-Q-ben ( ) FISHERIES RESEARCH BOARD OF CANADA UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE HON. THE MINISTER OF FISHERIES BULLETIN No. LXVIII FISHES OF THE PACIFIC COAST OF CANADA BY W. A. CLEMENS Professor of Zoology and G. V WILBY Graduate. Ichthyologist University of British Columbia OTTAWA 1046 SH a,a3 Baa,}3 tvo `à. FISHES OF THE PACIFIC COAST OF CANADA By W. A. CLEMENS AND G. V. WILBY University of British Columbia PREFACE The aim of the authors has been to provide a concise and generally useful publication for both scientific and non-scientific persons interested in the marine fishes of the Pacfic coast of Canada. The difficulty of attempting. to meet all needs and desires will be realized. Since fishes occupy an aquatic habitat, collections and observations present certain difficulties and the accumulation of knowledge requires considerable effort and time. The information assembled in the following pages represents the results of the patient endeavours of many students over a long period of years. Much remains to be obtained and it is hoped that this account may be the means of stimulating the study of the fishes of British Columbia waters, particularly in regard to distribution and life histories. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The work was commenced at the Pacific Biological Station at Nanaimo, British Columbia, and to the Fisheries Research Board of Canada the authors wish to express their appreciation and thanks for facilities provided and the allotment of funds for the preparation of the illustrations. The authors also wish to make grateful acknowledgement to the University of British Columbia for facilities given and a grant from research funds to aid with a portion of the work. To the following they extend their sincere thanks for much and varied assistance: Mr. G. J. Alexander, Provincial Fisheries Department, Victoria, B.C.; Dr. H. B. Bigelow, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.; Dr. R. L. Bolin, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, Cal.; Dr. G. C. Carl, Pro- vincial Museum, Victoria, B.C.; Dr. W. M. Chapman, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, Cal.; Mr. H. A. Dunlop, International Fisheries Commis- sion, Seattle, Wash.; Professor J. R. Dymond, Royal Ontario Museum of Zoology, Toronto, Ont.; Dr. R. E. Foerster, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, B.C.; Dr. C. McLean Fraser, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.; Mr. E. C. Hart, Victoria, B.C.; Dr. J. L. Hart, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, B.C.; Dr. C. L. Hubbs, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, Cal.; Mr. J. L. McHugh, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, B.C.; Dr. G. C. Myers, Natural History Museum, Stanford University, Cal.; Mr. P. H. Nasmyth, North Vancouver, B.C.; Mr. F. Neave, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, 3 BULL. FISH. RES. BD . CAN. LXVIII (1946) 0- 0 o o tn B.C.; Mr. J. R. Norman (deceased), British Museum, London, Eng.; Dr. A. L. Pritchard, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, B.C.; Dr. L. P. Schultz, United States National Museum, Washington, D.C.; Mr. W. C. Schroeder, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.; Dr. L. A. Walford, Stanford University, Cal.; Mr. A. D. Welander, University of Washington, Seattle, .Wash.; Mr. L. P. Woods, Field Museum, Chicago, Ill. ; and the following firms in Vancouver, B.C.: British Columbia Packers Limited; Canadian Fishing Company Limited ; Ed- munds and Walker Limited ; Shannon Brothers and Vancouver Shell Fish Company. The authors have been fortunate in obtaining the services of Mr. F. L. Beebe for the preparation of the illustrations. These have been made under the direction of the authors, from actual specimens in the great majority of cases, otherwise from photographs and in a few instances as reconstructions from illustrations in publications by : D. S. Jordan and B. W. Evermann, E. C. Starks, R. L. Bolin and W. M. Chapman. INTRODUCTION The composition of the marine fish fauna of the Pacific coast of Canada is interesting in several respects. A few northern, or arctic, fishes have their southern limits of distribution on the British Columbia coast, as for example : the capelin, Mallotus catervarius, which spawns annually in Departure bay and which has only been reported occasionally from as far south as the vicinity of Victoria ; the long-snouted blenny, Lumpenella longirostris, which has been taken in Burrard inlet at Bedwell bay, the most southern record for the species; the crested sculpin, Histiocottus bilobus, known south of Alaskan waters in Dean channel, and the yellow-fin sole, Limanda aspera, which extends southward into northern British Columbia only. On the other hand certain southern forms tend to reach their northernmost distribution on the British Columbia coast, notably the pilchard, Sardinops caerulea, which appears along the west coast of Vancouver island during the summer months. In some years numbers have been observed farther north- ward, even in Alaskan waters, but in general the northern range limit may be said to be cape Scott. On the west coast of Vancouver island five bottom forms, hitherto considered as distinctly southern, have been found, namely, the spotted kelp - fish, Gibbonsia elegans montereyensis; the striped kelp - fish, Gibbonsia metzi; the big-finned eel-pout, A.prodon corteziana; the warty sea-poacher, Occa verrucosa; and the slender cling-fish, Rimicola eigenmanni. A few individuals of pelagic fishes of southern distribution are taken occasionally, such as: the silvery hatchet- fish, Argyropelecus olfersii; the king - fish, Genyonemus lineatus; the skipjack, Katsuwonus pelamis; the albacore, Thunnus alalunga; the California pompano, Peprilus simillimus; the barracuda, Sphyraena argentea; the ocean sun - fish, Mola mola; and the whale - sucker, Remilegia australis. Several unique fishes living at great depths along this coast have become known as the result of the voyages of the Albatross and the work of the Inter- 4 national Fisheries Commission. Among these may be mentioned the deep-sea skate, Raja abyssicola, obtained at a depth of 1,588 fathoms off the Queen Char- lotte islands; the abyssmal liparid, Careproctus ovigerion, also from the same depth and locality; the barrel-eye, 1llacropinna inicrostoma, to a depth of 487 fathoms; the bulb-fish, Oneirodes bulbosus, from over 379 fathôms. Four species have been introduced from eastern points: the shad, Alosa sapidissima, in 1871 into the Sacramento and Columbia rivers, reaching Canadian waters off Vancouver island in 1876; the Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, in 1905 and subsequently; the speckled char, Salvelinus foutiualis, in 1908 and later; the brown trout, Sal»zo trutta, in 1932, 1933 and 1934. The latter three species have been liberated in lakes and streams on Vancouver island but only the brown trout has been taken in salt water. The number of species reported herein is 245. Of these 24 were described from types taken in British Columbia waters, as follows: the deep-sea skate, Raja abyssicola; the barrel-eye, 1llacropiuna microstoma; the fanged viper-fish, Chauliodus macouni; the smooth-scaled grenadier, Dolloa cyclolepis; the fila- inented grenadier, Chalinura filifera; the rough-scaled grenadier, Hacrurus acrolepis; the brown sea-perch, Brachyistius brevipinnis; the large-scaled goby, Rhinogobiops nicholsii; the arrow goby, Clevelandia ios; the Y-blenny, Allo- lu»apeuus hypochromus; the soft eel-pout, Bothrocara mollis; the cusk-pout, Derepodichthys alepidotus; the prow-fish, Zaprora silenus; the rough-spined sculpin, Prionislius rnacellus; Taylor's sculpin, Asemichthys taylori; the manacled sculpin, Synchirus gilli; the tadpole sculpin, Psychrolutes paradoxus; the grunt-fish, Rhamphocottus richardsoni; the smooth sea-poacher, Anoplagonus inermis; the spiny lump-sucker, Eumicrotrenaus orbis; Günther's liparid, Liparis cyclopus; Green's liparid, Polypera greeni; the abyssmal liparid, Careproctus ovigerum; and the bulb-fish, Oneirodes bulbosus. The following have been obtained only in these waters: the deep-sea skate, Raja abyssicola; the smooth-scaled grenadier, Dolloa cyclolepis; the filamented grenadier, Chalinura. filifera; the Y-blenny, Allolumpenus hypochromus; the cusk-pout, Derepodichthys alepidotus; Taylor's sculpin, Asemichthys taylori; the abyssmal liparid, Careproctus ovigeruon; and the bulb-fish, Oneirodes bulbosus. The fact that 77 families of fishes are represented indicates something of the varied character of the fauna. Undoubtedly records of additional species will be added in the future in view of the fact that some 50 species, other than those described herein, have been recorded from Washington or Alaska or both. Furthermore there is the likelihood of the discovery of a number of species new to science. A HISTORY OF MARINE ICHTHYOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS ON THE PACIFIC COAST OF CANADA The history of scientific recordings of western Canadian marine fishes begins with,the voyage of H.M.S. Herald in the northern Pacific ocean. A pink salmon was obtained in Observatory inlet and was described in 1836 by Sir John Richard- 5 son as the type of a new species, Salmo scouleri. This scientific name later was found to be a synonym of Salmo gorbuscha Walbaum, predescribed in 1792. In 1861 the genus Oncorhynchus was proposed by Suckley to include the Pacific salmons so the scientific name of this species is now Oncorhynchus gorbuscha (Walbaum). The first collections of any size to be made were obtained by various members of the staff and crew of H.M.S. Plumper, which was sent out from England under Lieut.-Colonel Hawkins to continue the geodetic survey of the north- eastern Paci fic ocean begun by Captain Vancouver. From November, 1857, to January, 1861, collections of fishes were made and shipped to the British Museum under the auspices of the Lords of the Admiralty, particularly Lord, later Earl, Russell. The specimens, in many cases dried skins only, were studied by Dr. Albert Günther who described them in his Catalogue of the Fishes in the British Museum. The eight volumes were published between 1860 and 1870. (Five of Günther's types from British Columbia waters are still valid.) In 1866 J.

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