Monthly Archives: February 2023

Wolf Eel : Anarrhichthys ocellatus on Taylor beach

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On February 9, 2023  Deidre Chettleburgh and her grandson Ben retrieved this 37 cm wolf eel from the strand line on Taylor beach.  

Although the experts on iNaturalist identified it as a wolf eel, (https://inaturalist.ca/observations/148414762 ) this description of a juvenile wolf eel from Wikipedia doesn’t really fit . ???

“Younger wolf eels are orange with big dark spots in the posterior part of the body. Once older they turn grey, brown greyish or dark olive.”[7][8]
This individual was very dark black. Also in  my many years of Diving around Race Rocks Ecological Reserve I never saw anything like it.
https://racerocks.ca/anarrhichthys-ocellatus-wolf-eel-the-race-rocks-taxonomy-2/

Classification from Wikkipedia:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scorpaeniformes
Family: Anarhichadidae
Genus: Anarrhichthys
Ayres, 1855
Species:
A. ocellatus
Binomial name
Anarrhichthys ocellatus

Ayres, 1855

When will those humans stop abusing our beaches

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A walk on Taylor beach today turned up the typical abuse that humans manage to perpetuate.

 

  • Plastic particles disposed in the marine environment which wash up on shore
  • Dog feces bags left on the beach
  • Garbage left from a party
    • Beach fires

Fish of the Metchosin Coastal Area

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The following fish have been found on Taylor beach

Gobiesox meandrous–Northern Clingfish

Ammodytes hexapterus: Pacific Sand lance, (Needle fish) 

Liparidae( snail fish)

Aluolorhychus  flavidus: Tubesnout 

Gasterosteus aculeatus : Threespine Stickleback

Shiner perch : Cymatogaster aggregata 

Skate 

Other fish from the Race Rocks taxonomy :

Subphylum Vertebrata:
Class Elasmobranchii: sharks and skates
Squalus acanthias (Spiny Dogfish):
Raja rhina (Longnose skate):
Hydrolagus colliei (ratfish):

Class Actinopterygii: rockfish and sculpins-Order Scorpaeniformes

Scorpaenichthyes marmoratus (Cabezon):
Hexagrammos decagrammus (Kelp greenling):
Ophiodon elongatus (Lingcod):
Oligocottus maculosus (Tidepool sculpin):
Nautichthys oculofasciatus (Sailfin Sculpin):
Ronquilus jordani (Northern ronquil)
Sebastes melanopsi (Black rockfish):
Sebastes maliger (Quillback rockfish):
Sebastes nigrocinctus (Tiger Rockfish):
Sebastes flavidus (Yellowtail Rockfish):
Sebastes caurinus (Copper Rockfish):
Sebastes emphaeus (Puget Sound Rockfish):
Agonomalus mozinol (Kelp Poacher):
Chirolophis decoratus  (Decorated warbonnet):
Lupensus sagitta (Snake Prickleback):
Clupea pallasii (Pacific Herring):
Engraulis mordax (Northern Anchovie) 
Pholis clemensi: (Longfin gunnel)
Rhamphocottus richarsonii (Grunt Sculpin):
Acipenser transmontanus(White Sturgeon):
Anarrhichthys ocellatus (Wolf eel):
Apodichtys flavidus (Penpoint gunnel):
Oncorhynchus keta (Chum salmon):
Oncorhynchus kisutch (coho salmon):
Myctophidae (lanternfish):

 

Forage fish link