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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF ICHTHYOLOGICAL TAXONOMISTS AND ECOLOGISTS 03 June 2013, SCCWRP Attendance: Julianne Passarelli (CMA); Bill Power, Terra Petry (LACSD); Mike Mengel, Ernest Ruckman (OCSD); Craig Cambell (CLA - Hyperion); Robin Gartman, Adriano Feit, Geoff Daly (CSD); Dario Diehl (SCCWRP); Jim Mann (ABC Labs); Rick Feeney (LACM); Wayne Dossett, Eric Miller (MBC); Jonathan Williams (Occidental College); Lawrence Honma (Merkel & Associates); Ray Wilson, Suellen Jacob (CSULB). Meeting Summary: Dr. Juli Passarelli opened the meeting with announcements regarding upcoming events and SCAITE business. 1. Upcoming meetings: Visit the SCAITE website at www.scaite.org for the latest meeting announcements. It was decided that starting in February 2014, meetings will occur every other month in order to review more of the revised Miller and Lea keys. 2. Miller and Lea revision: We need to complete the review on the Cottidae, Zoarcidae, and Gobiidae keys, while the key for Macrouridae is now ready to begin the review process. The remainder of the meeting was dedicated to Bight ’13 trawl topics: Dario started the discussion with a PowerPoint presentation entitled Difficult Species That Have Occurred over the Previous Bight Surveys. A brief history of Bight QC program and how it has evolved over the years was given. In 1994 (SCBPP) there was a post survey data check that revealed the taxonomy wasn’t consistent among participants. In 1998 pre-survey training on difficult species and species that were likely to be encountered, an intercalibration cruise was organized, audits were initiated, FIDs were submitted to SCCWRP, and anomalies were vouchered. In 2003 audits were done on the taxonomist, pressure-temperature sensors were used, species identification vouchers were collected, FID submittal remained, limited submittal of photo vouchers, and an informal Bight fish group helped identified the vouchers. In 2008 a more formalized group was established to review fish vouchers and FID submittals. This year, 2013, pressure-temperature data will be submitted, vouchers for DNA analysis will be collected, and SCAITE will review vouchers and FIDs. Typical errors that have occurred over previous Bight surveys were nomenclature (be aware of name changes), spelling of names, and misidentification of species (SCAITE will address the fish and SCAMIT will address the invertebrates). Below are groups containing some examples of voucher fishes that have been submitted with errors. Sharks/Skates/Rays: Correct Name Incorrect Name Swell Shark Horn Shark Filetail Cat Shark Northern Lampfish Big Skate Longnose Skate California Skate Big Skate Longnose Skate Big Skate Longnose Skate California Skate *California Skate – “3-point contact” along a straight edge from tip of snout to wing, stiff snout *Longnose Skate – “2-point contact” along a straight edge with smooth curvatures, flexible snout *Big Skate – nearly a straight line from tip of snout to wing Duckbill Eels: Correct Name Incorrect Name Dogface Witch Eel Smallhead Duckbill Eel Dogface Witch Eel Kelp Pipefish *Dogface Witch Eel – deep waters, very smooth body, no proboscis (the only other species that we could encounter has a proboscis) Cusk-eels/Toadfishes/Eelpouts: Correct Name Incorrect Name 2 Rubynose Brotula Bigfin Eelpout Spotted Cusk-eel Blackbelly Eelpout Spotted Cusk-eel Basketweave Cusk-eel Specklefin Midshipman Plainfin Midshipman Bearded Eelpout Blackbelly eelpout Blackbelly Eelpout Black Eelpout Bigfin Eelpout Blackbelly Eelpout *Handed out key to Eelpout teeth patterns *Blackbelly Eelpout – no palatine teeth, no volmer teeth *Bigfin Eelpout – has palatine teeth, no volmer teeth *Black Eelpout – has palatine teeth, has volmer teeth *Bearded Eelpout – look for dark pattern on sides of body Pipefishes: Correct Name Incorrect Name Barcheek Pipefish Kelp Pipefish Barcheek Pipefish Chocolate Pipefish Bay Pipefish Barred Pipefish *Handed out M. James Allen’s key to Pipefishes *Barcheek Pipefish – 2 bars on operculum (underside of fish not by eye, difficult to see, this is different than what has previously been used by many in the SC Bight and the above mentioned key) per Dr. Kristy Forsgren’s presentation on pipefishes at the 04 June 2012 SCAITE meeting Rockfishes: Correct Name Incorrect Name Kelp Rockfish Quillback Rockfish Splitnose Rockfish Stripetail Rockfish 3 Greenstriped Rockfish Greenblotched Rockfish Pink Rockfish Greenblotched Rockfish Vermilion Rockfish Darkblotch Rockfish Halfbanded Rockfish Calico Rockfish Aurora Rockfish Splitnose Rockfish Longspine Thornyhead Shortspine Thornyhead *Handed out M. James Allen’s key to trawl-caught juvenile Rockfishes *Pink Rockfish – short stubby gill rakers, 18 pectoral rays, without coronal spines *Greenblotched Rockfish – long slender gill rakers, 17 pectoral rays, with coronal spines *Aurora Rockfish – deep waters 300+ meters, with supraocular spines, generally large in size *Sunset Rockfish – similar characteristics to Vermilion Rockfish (1-2 gill raker count difference), adults tend to be deeper than adult Vermilions, young fish can co-occur. *Longspine Thornyhead – 450m, black/dark inside of mouth *Shortspine Thornyhead – 300m, white/clear inside of mouth *Stripetail Rockfish (juvenile) – stripe in caudal fin *Splitnose Rockfish (juvenile) – no stripe on caudal fin *Darkblotched Rockfish (juvenile) – dark area on both fins *Cowcod (juvenile) – dark bars on side Greenlings/Sculpins/Poachers: Correct Name Incorrect Name Painted Greenling Kelp Greenling Roughback Sculpin Yellowchin Sculpin Pit-head Sculpin Spotfin Sculpin Southern Spearnose Pygmy Poacher Blackedge Poacher Bigeye Poacher *Handed out key to Poachers 4 *Pit-head Sculpin – males with elongated dorsal filament at first two rays, pit on head, orange coloration on underside of throat area *Spotfin Sculpin – elongated dorsal filament at first two rays, without pit on head *Southern Spearnose – this is the only Spearnose we could encounter *Bigeye Poacher – deep waters, huge eyes; three or more spines on tip of snout *Blackedge Poacher – small eyes, one spine on tip of snout *Pygmy Poacher – one spine on tip of snout, pit behind head Miscellaneous Group Correct Name Incorrect Name White Seaperch Shiner Perch Black Perch Rubberlip Seaperch Blackbelly Snailfish Blacktail Snailfish Ronquils/Kelpfishes/Blennies/Gobies: Correct Name Incorrect Name Rough Ronquil Stripefin Ronquil Mussel Blenny Rockpool Blenny Bay Goby Blackeye Goby Crevice Kelpfish Spotted Kelpfish *Rough Ronquil – infraorbital pore absent anterior to midorbit, anal fin with bright blue stripe running parallel to body axis *Stripefin Ronquil – infraorbital pore present anterior to midorbit, anal fin with bright blue bands running parallel to fin rays *Bay Goby & Blackeye Goby – common in offshore waters *Yellowfin Goby – common in bays and harbors *Crevice Kelpfish – not common south Point Conception 5 *Spotted Kelpfish – relative size ranges from small to large, spot with ocellus, scales on caudal fin *Striped Kelpfish – relative size is small, spot without ocellus, angled stripe through eye *Scarlet Kelpfish – synonymous with Crevice Kelpfish Flatfishes: Correct Name Incorrect Name Gulf Sanddab Pacific Sanddab Petrale Sole Pacific Halibut Curlfin Turbot Spotted Turbot Spotted Turbot Diamond Turbot Whitetail Tonguefish Ink Spot Tonguefish *Gulf Sanddab – bump on snout, sharp angle of jaw, large scales, both eyes can be seen through the body when viewing the underside of fish *Pacific Sanddab – small scales, only one eye can be seen through the body when viewing underside of fish (other eye appears fuzzy; can’t clearly be seen) *Whitetail Tonguefish – three stripes toward caudal end Others: Correct Name Incorrect Name Slough Anchovy Deepbody Anchovy CA Smoothtongue Argentine Pacific Sardine Herring Slender Hatchetfish Silver Hatchetfish Smallhead Flyingfish CA Flyingfish Northern Lampfish Filetail Cat Shark *Slough Anchovy – black inside of mouth, shorter anal fin *Deepbody Anchovy – orange inside of mouth, longer anal fin 6 *Cortez Bonefish – have been collected recently within the Port of Los Angeles, silver in color with lots of scales and a forked tail (juvenile adult stage), transparent resembles a rubber band or ribbon with tiny eyes and mouth (leptocephalus larvae) Requests for Fishes: • live seahorses – Cabrillo Marine Aquarium • frozen pipefishes – Kristy Forsgren • Microstomus bathybius (Dover Sole replacement species found at depths from 500 to 1,000 m; resembles Dover Sole yet wider across and with flabbier tissue) – Ray Wilson Juli then led a discussion on parasites. Several specimens were brought for examination: Copepod eye parasite – found on the eye(s) of Pacific Sanddab, Bay Goby, Longfin Sanddab, Rex Sole, English Sole, and Arrowtooth Flounder. If found on any additional species, Juli is asking for that animal be brought back for additional analysis. This is the only parasite that won’t detach from the host and thus the only parasite that can accurately be accounted for. It was suggested that when encountered, record not only the count but also which eye the parasite(s) was located. Leeches – found on California Halibut, Hornyhead Turbot, Bigmouth Sole, CA Scorpionfish, and Elasmobranchs. This parasite can easily be removed from the host and thus cannot accurately be accounted for. Isopods – found on most species. These parasites can easily fall or crawl off of original host and reattach to a new host or remain unattached and thus cannot accurately be accounted for. There are two possible