Redtail Surfperch
Amphistichus rhodoterus
 |
Photo contributed by:
Bill Barss
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
|
In-depth Information Regarding this Species
| U.S. Range in the Pacific Ocean |
Vancouver Island to Central California (Love 1996, Eschmeyer and Herald 1983) |
| Habitat |
Shallow water (Love 1996)
Beach with surf (Love 1996, Eschmeyer and Herald 1983)
Bays (Eschmeyer and Herald 1983) |
| Substrate |
Sand (Love 1996) |
| Depth range (meters) |
Down to 7.3 (Eschmeyer and Herald 1983) |
| Behavior |
School (Love 1996) |
| Average Maximum Overall Length (cm) |
40.6 (Love 1996, Eschmeyer and Herald 1983) |
| Overall Length to Age Ratio (cm/age in years) |
27.9/6 (Love 1996) |
| Overall Maximum Age (years) |
9 (Love 1996) |
| Overall Growth Rate |
Females grow faster than males (Love 1996) |
| Male Age at Maturity (years) |
2 (end of year 2) (Love 1996) |
| Female Age at Maturity (years) |
3–4 (Love 1996) |
| Male Length at Maturity (cm) |
20.3–22.9 (Love 1996) |
| Female Length at Maturity (cm) |
22.9–25.4 (Love 1996) |
| Type of Reproduction |
Viviparous (Love 1996, Eschmeyer and Herald 1983)
Internal fertilization (Eschmeyer and Herald 1983) |
| Fecundity |
39 (Love 1996)
3–10 per litter (Eschmeyer and Herald 1983) |
| Spawning Habitat |
Enter bays to spawn (Love 1996) |
| Time of Year of Spawning |
Breed in winter
Spawn July–September
August and Early September (peak off Oregon) (Love 1996) |
| Adult Food Preference |
Crabs, Worms, Fish, Crustaceans (Amphipods and Isopods) (Love 1996) |
| Commercial Fishery |
Makes up to 73% of the commercial surfperch fishery off California
Average catch 17.8 metric tons per year from 1980–1991 (Love 1996) |
| Shelf-life in Fresh State (days at 40°F) |
5 (Love 1996) |
| Shelf-life in Frozen State (months at 0°F) |
9–12 (Love 1996) |
Recent Wild Harvest Data for Oregon
Data from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
(Data for all surfperch in the family Embiotocidae)
|
Year
|
Total Catch
(Pounds)
|
Ex-vessel Value
( U.S. Dollars)
|
|
1989
|
3,710
|
2,810
|
|
1990
|
4,953
|
3,540
|
|
1991
|
2,201
|
1,748
|
|
1992
|
3,596
|
3,529
|
|
1993
|
1,676
|
2,458
|
|
1994
|
1,298
|
1,819
|
|
1995
|
2,471
|
2,226
|
|
1996
|
3,428
|
4,788
|
|
1997
|
2,148
|
2,260
|
|
1998
|
3,319
|
4,773
|
