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Recent and Historical Spatial Distributions of Juvenile Rockfish Species in Rocky Intertidal Tide Pools, with Emphasis on Black Rockfish
Author(s) -
Studebaker Rebecca S.,
Cox Karah N.,
Mulligan Timothy J.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
transactions of the american fisheries society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1548-8659
pISSN - 0002-8487
DOI - 10.1577/t08-080.1
Subject(s) - intertidal zone , rockfish , sebastes , habitat , juvenile , fishery , ecology , juvenile fish , rocky shore , biology , fish <actinopterygii>
Understanding the full complement of habitats used by juvenile fish is essential for species management and the protection of habitat. This study evaluated the distribution of juvenile rockfish Sebastes spp. in northern Pacific rocky intertidal habitats. Observations were made along the northern California and Oregon coasts in an attempt to better define the geographical extent of intertidal habitat use. Juvenile rockfish were observed in rocky intertidal habitats ranging from MacKerricher State Park, California, to Ecola State Park, Oregon. Museum collections were also searched to examine the historical ranges of rocky intertidal use by juvenile rockfish. A total of 12 species of juvenile rockfish were identified in rocky intertidal habitats, black rockfish S. melanops being the dominant species identified. Our observations, along with museum records, showed that juvenile rockfish, especially black rockfish, use rocky intertidal habitats over a large geographic range.