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Northwest Wildlife Online
The Fish
by John M. Regan
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I've gotten different stories about the origin of this internet picture. But the point is that Great Whites are great - and we do have them off of our Northwest shores.
A beautiful catch of Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, caught at American Lake, WA by Doug, a proud soldier serving our country at Fort Lewis.
On the left is an adult Wolf Eel, Anarrhichthys ocellatus. To the right is a juvenile sporting the bright coloration of young Wolf Eels.
A Puget Sound Rock Fish, Sebastes emphaeus is on the left. Rockfish are one of the most common marine fish in our area. Almost invisible against the mud and debris of a freshwater lake high in the mountains is a freshwater sculpin.
A little shameless advertising here. These are pictures from the Koi pond I built in my backyard. If you are lover of natural history and natural beauty this is a hobby you'll not only love, but will increase the value of your home as well. If you'd like a complete guide on how to do it right Click Here! for "Your Own Koi Pond."
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Phylum: Chordata
3 Classes, 27 Orders, and 111 Families of Fish represent wildlife in the Northwest:
Class Agnatha - Jawless Fishes
Order Petromyzontiformes:
Family Petromyzonifomres - Lamphreys
Order Myxinidae:
Family Myxinifomormes - Hagfish
Class Chondrichthyes - Sharks, Rays, Chimaeras
Order Hexanchiformes:
Family Chlamydoselachidae - Frill Sharks
Family Hexanchidae - Cow Sharks
Order Squaliformes:
Family Squalidae - Dogfish Sharks
Order Lamniformes:
Family Alopiidae - Thresher Sharks
Family Cetorhinidae - Basking Sharks
Family Lamnidae - Mackerel Sharks
Order Carcharhiniformes:
Family Scyliorhinidae - Cat Sharks
Family Triakididae - Smoothhounds
Family Carcharhinidae - Requiem Sharks
Order Squantiniformes:
Family Squantinidae - Angel Sharks
Order Rajiformes:
Family Rajidae - Skates
Order Myliobatidiformes:
Family Dasyatidae - Stingrays
Family Gymnuridae - Butterfly Rays
Family Myliobatididae - Eagle Rays
Subclass Holocephali - Chimeras
Order Chimaeriformes:
Family Chimaeridae
Class Osteichthyes - Bony Fishes
Order Acipenseriformes:
Acipenseridae - sturgeons and paddle fish
Order Anguiliformes:
Family Muraenidae - Morays
Family Muraenesocidae - Pike Congers
Family Derichthyidae - Neck Eels
Family Serrivomeridae - Sawtooth Eels
Family Cyematidae - Bobtail Eels
Family Saccopharyngidae - Whiptail Gulpers
Family Eurypharyngidae - Umbrellamouth Gulpers
Order Notacanthiformes:
Family Notacanthidae - Spiny Eels
Order Clupeiformes:
Family Clupeidae - Herrings
Family Engraulididae - Anchovies
Order Salmiformes:
Family Salmonidae - Trouts and Salmon
Family Osmeridae - Smelts
Family Argentinidae - Argentines
Family Bathylagidae - Deepsea Smelts
Family Opisthoproctidae - Spookfishes
Family Gonostomatidae - Bristlemouths
Family Sternoptychidae - Hatchetfishes
Family Chauliodontidae - Viperfishes
Family Melanostomidae - Scaleless Dragonfishes
Family Malacostidae - Loosejaws
Family Alepocephalidae - Slickheads
Family Searsiidae - Tubeshoulders
Order Myctophiformes:
Family Alepisauridae - Lancetfishes
Family Anotopteridae - Daggertooths
Family Scopelarchidae - Pearleyes
Family Notosudidae - Paperbones
Family Myctophidae - Lanternfishes
Order Cypriniformes:
Family Ciprinidae - Minnows and Carps
Order Gadiformes:
Family Gadidae - Cods
Family Merluccidae - Hakes and Relatives
Family Moridae - Moras
Family Macrouridae - Grenadiers
Order Phidiiformes:
Family Ophidiidae - Cusk-Eels
Family Bythitidae - Livebearing Brotulas
Family Zoarcidae - Eelpouts
Order Batrachoidiformes:
Family Batrachoidae - Toadfishes
Order Gobiesociformes:
Family Gobiesocidae - Clingfishes
Order Atheriniformes:
Family Exocoetidae - Flyingfish
Family Scomberesocidae - Sauries
Family Atherinidae - Silversides
Order Lampriformes:
Family Lampridae - Opahs
Family Trachipteridae - Ribbonfishes
Order Beryciformes:
Family Melamphidae - Bigscales
Family Anoplogastridae - Fangtooths
Family Diretmidae - Spinyfins
Order Zeiformes:
Family Oreosmatidae - Oreos
Family Zeidae - Dories
Order Gasterosteiformes:
Family Gasterosteidae - Sticklebacks
Family Aulorhynchidae - Tubesnouts
Family Syngnathidae - Pipefish and Seahorses
Order Scorpaeniformes:
Family Scorpanidae - Scorpionfish and Rockfish
Family Triglidae - Searobins
Family Anoplopomatidae - Sablefish and Skilfish
Family Hexagrammidae - Greenlings and Lincods
Family Zaniolepididae - Combfish
Family Cottidae - Sculpins
Family Agonidae - Poachers
Family Liparidae - Snailfish
Family Cyclopteridae - Lumpfish
Family Serranidae - Sea Bass and Groupers
Family Malacanthidae - Tilefish
Family Carangidae - Jacks, Amberjacks, and Pompanos
Family Coryphaenidae - Dolphinfish
Family Bramidae - Pomfrets
Family Caristiidae - Veilfins
Family Sciaenidae - Croakers
Family Kyphosidae - Sea Chubs
Family Pentacerotidae - Armorheads
Family Embiotocidae - Surfperches
Family Sphyraenidae - Barracudas
Family Trichotodontidae - Sandfish
Family Bathymasteridae - Ronquils
Family Clinidae - Kelpfish, Fringeheads, Clinids
Family Stichaeidae - Pricklebacks
Family Cryptacanthodidae - Wrymouths
Family Pholididae - Gunnels
Family Anarhichadidae - Wolffish
Family Ptilichthyidae - Quilfish
Family Zaproridae - Prowfish
Family Scytalinidae - Graveldrivers
Family Ammodytidae - Sand Lances
Family Gobiidae - Gobies
Family Scombridae - Mackerals and Tunas
Family Xiphiidae - Swordfish
Family Istiophoridae - Billfish
Family Luvaridae - Louvars
Family Stromateidae - Butterfishes
Family Centrolophidae - Medusafishes
Family Tetragonuridae - Squaretails
Order Pleuronectiformes:
Family Bothidae - Lefteye Flounders
Family Pleuronectidae - Righteye Flounders
Family Cynoglossidae - Tonguefish
Order Tetradontifomes:
Family Molidae - Molas
Of all the vertebrate animals fish are the oldest and most numerous residents on earth. Both in number of species and individual animals they surpass all other backboned creatures combined. This should not be a surprise. With eighty percent of the world covered by water you'd expect most of its residents to love it. Still, the numbers are spectacular - well over 20,000 named species. What this amounts to in individual fish is an incredible figure.
And consider this - about 200 new species of fish are described every year according to University of Washington researcher Ted Pietsch.
Exceeding 50 feet, the largest fish in the world is the plankton eating Whale Shark. Way, way down at the other end of the scale is the male Anglerfish (Photochorynus spiniceps). Considered the smallest vertebrate animal in the world, male Anglerfish measure a mere one quarter of an inch long. The male anglerfish, by the way, is a fine example of ichthyologic diversity. Exhibiting a bizarre lifestyle called "sexual parasitism," the little fellow spends the majority of his life attached to the back of a female hundreds of times his size.
Although mudskippers are capable of brief terrestrial journeys and flying fish can actually do just that, fish are confined to water. But the range of water types and temperature they can inhabit is extreme. From freshwater hot springs of over 100 degrees to sub-freezing arctic saltwater the fish of the world are thriving.
Water is not an easy environment to live in. It is 800 times more dense than air and more difficult to move through; a difference of just several feet in water depth results in a dramatic rise in pressure. Sound moves through water four times faster than air and light is greatly affected by water. Oxygen is far more difficult to extract from water than air. Fish have elegantly solved all of these problems, but they've had a long time to do it - perhaps 400 million years.
The majority of the 20,000 fish species are saltwater. Roughly 7,000 are freshwater species. Those fish that inhabit only freshwater are called primary freshwater fish. Fish able to live in sea water or brackish water are called secondary freshwater fish. Diadromous fish migrate between fresh and saltwater.
All three types are represented in the wildlife of the Northwest. At 7 feet the Green Sturgeon is our largest resident inland fish. The Salmon family are probably our most well known and economically important fish. (A 1996 survey revealed an estimated 768,000 fisherman in Washington alone that produced 704 million dollars worth of revenue.) Introduced goldfish are common in many lakes and ponds.
The coasts are filled with an amazing variety of species. The 30 foot long Great White Shark prowls the open ocean and 7 foot long Wolf Eels hunt along the rocky bottom. Colorful, basslike Rockfish are the most common saltwater fish, and a wide array of flatfish scuttle along the bottom near shore and are seen in open water as well.
Fish are a lifetime study. Their complexity, color, behavior, and physiology can easily absorb a professional career or an amateur naturalist's passion. And fish have another tremendous appeal. There is probably no other species of Northwest wildlife so ripe with opportunity for discovery.
Birds Mammals Reptiles Amphibians Fish Invertebrates Home
Mission Editor Bio Contact Wildlife Park Links Further Study Wild Employment Northwest Trek
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