| Redtail
Surfperch
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Family: |
Embiotocidae (Surfperches) |
Genus and Species: |
Amphistichus rhodoterus |
Description: |
The body of the redtail surfperch is oval and compressed. The upper profile of the head is nearly straight from the snout to the dorsal fin except for a slight depression above the eye. The body color is silver with olive green mottling and bars on the side. The tail is pink to deep purple. This species can be separated from the other two species that live off sandy beaches and have similar color markings (barred and calico surfperch) by the red to deep purple tail and the spines in the dorsal fin, which are longer than the soft rays. |
Range: |
The redtail surfperch occurs from Monterey Bay, California, to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and is the most often encountered surfperch from Bodega Bay northward. Redtail surfperch are predominantly surf dwellers off sandy beaches, but have been taken in rocky areas adjacent to beaches. They are common in estuaries and protected embayments during the spawning season. |
Natural History: |
Small crustaceans are the major food items preferred by this species; however, small crabs, shrimp, mussels or marine worms are also attractive to redtail surfperch. Like all surfperch, the redtail gives birth to live young. The young are carried inside the mother until birth when they emerge as miniature replicas of the adults. Males mature at age 2 and females at age 4. They breed in fall and give birth in spring and summer, primarily from June to August. Females contain up to 51 young with the average of 27. |
Fishing Information: |
Redtail surfperch concentrate
just before spawning in sheltered inshore waters during the spring and early
summer. They are frequently caught in large numbers at this time. The average
size of redtail surfperch that an angler usually catches is 1.8 pounds, although
3 pound fish are not uncommon. Light tackle with No. 406 hooks and crab backs for bait is the preferred method of take in Humboldt Bay. For surf fishing, 20 pound test line and 6 to 80 ounce sinkers are usually used with sand crabs, tube worms or clams for bait. |
Other Common Names: |
rosy surf fish, redtail seaperch, porgie, Oregon porgie. |
Largest Recorded: |
16 inches; no weight recorded. |
Habitat: |
Surf Environment |
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