Los Angeles (Palos Verdes) Fish ID

[holmes]

Hello, this is my first post but I have gotten a lot of information from Spearboard over the years, so thank you all. I have been spearfishing in Palos Verdes for about a year and have gradually compiled fish ID info to share with new spearfishing buddies as a cheat sheet for what is legal to hunt and to help identify stuff we see. I am sharing this info so that it may help others as well.

Disclaimer: any of the limits and minimum sizes may be wrong or change, check the regs. Also this is just my opinion. I'm looking forward to hearing opinions/feedback.


Helpful links for fish identification

California Ocean Recreational Fishing Regulations:
https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/...g-Map/Southern
Great newish site, shows you what is open. Also can access the protected area maps on the right.

Summary of the rules for "groundfish" such as rockfish:
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.a...62&inline=true

California Fishing Passport - Ocean:
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.a...35&inline=true

Safe eating guidelines:
http://www.oehha.ca.gov/fish/so_cal/socal061709.html

Selected Nearshore Fishes of California (drawings):
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.a...06&inline=true

Selected Nearshore Fishes of California (different doc, more nice drawings):
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.a...05&inline=true


LA/PV fish we hunt

Kelp Bass aka Calico Bass
Minimum size*: 14"
Limit*: 5 within any combination of Kelp Bass/Barred Sand Bass/Spotted Sand Bass



Gopro GIF of my best kelp bass snipe: http://giphy.com/gifs/6gVnYeMvykiBy.

Barred Sand Bass / Spotted Sand Bass (not pictured)
Minimum size*: 14"
Limit*: 5 within any combination of Kelp Bass/Barred Sand Bass/Spotted Sand Bass



Note: barred sand bass is on the "do not eat" list for LA.

California Sheephead
Minimum size*: 12"
Limit*: 5


Male


Female

Sheephead begin female and change to male.

Rockfish / Treefish
Minimum size*: none
Limit*: 10 in RCG group (Rockfish, Cabezon, Greenling)


Copper Rockfish


Treefish


Olive and yellowtail rockfish look kind of like kelp bass.

Bronzespotted rockfish, canary rockfish, cowcod, and yelloweye rockfish are no take. Don't see these much in PV.

Lingcod
Minimum size*: 22"
Limit*: 3



What it'll really look like:


Cabezon
Minimum size*: 15"
Limit*: 3



Gopro GIF of shooting one, check out that camo: http://giphy.com/gifs/F3pfaejAyz6rm.
One identifying feature is the stalks behind their eyes, called a "cirrus".
Watch out, their eggs are toxic. They don’t have scales. Fillets can be blue.

California Scorpionfish aka Sculpin
Minimum size*: 10"
Limit*: 5




Gopro GIF of sculpin on the Valiant wreck at Avalon, Catalina: http://giphy.com/gifs/y2OIL2Ligp8li.
Careful, their spines are very venomous. Super painful or dangerous if you get stuck apparently.

White Seabass
Minimum size*: 28" or 20" alternate length.
Limit*: 3, except that only one fish may be taken in waters south of Point Conception between March 15 and June 15.




California Halibut
Minimum size*: 22”
Limit*: 5



Sanddab
Minimum size*: None
Limit*: ?



Yellowtail
Minimum size*: 24" fork length, except 5 fish under 24" fork length can be taken.
Limit*: 10




Invertebrates we hunt

Spiny Lobster
Minimum size*: 3 1/4" carapace
Limit*: 7
Season*: From the Saturday preceding the first Wednesday in October through the first Wednesday after the 15th of March.
2016/2017 season: Saturday, October 1, 2016 through Wednesday, March 22, 2017



GoPro video from Catalina lobster diving just after 12 AM opening night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-i3ZqyuBQ4
More info in the CA Fish & Wildlife FAQ: https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conserva...brates/Lobster

California Two-spot Octopus



Gopro GIF of grabbing one: http://giphy.com/gifs/rqAC7CYBJGRq0.

Urchin
Minimum Size*: None
Limit*: 35



* Check the current California fishing regulations to verify any size and limit info in this post is still valid!

[holmes]

Part 2:

Disclaimer: any of the limits and minimum sizes may be wrong or change, check the regs.

Fish some spearos hunt

I either do not go after these or my experience is limited.

Opaleye
Minimum size*: ?
Limit*: ?



Surfperch
Minimum size*: none, except redtail surfperch 10.5"
Limit*: 10



Common Surfperches of California PDF with identification photos:
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.a...17&inline=true

Ocean Whitefish
Minimum size*: none
Limit*: 10



Kelp and Rock Greenlings
Minimum*: 12”
Limit*: 10 in RCG group



Barracuda
Min size*: 28"
Limit*: 10



GoPro GIF of a barracuda off PV: https://giphy.com/gifs/J5c94tuvzEm6A.


Other creatures we commonly see in LA/PV

Garibaldi


Señorita


Blacksmith


Halfmoon Surfperch


Rock Wrasse


Giant Kelpfish


Giant Sea Bass aka Black Sea Bass



Juvenile Giant Sea Bass

GoPro GIF of Giant Sea Bass at Catalina: http://giphy.com/gifs/6DbsfhgB4QOA.
Protected. Huge friendly fish.

Finescale Triggerfish

I saw a big old one of these at one of the coves in PV this summer. Not sure if these aggro like tropical cousins?

Moray Eel


Bat Ray


Thornback Guitarfish

These are fun to pick up off the bottom and use to scare your buddy.

Broadnose Sevengill Shark

GoPro GIF of a sevengill: http://giphy.com/gifs/HcvCpfFs2DVwQ.

Leopard Shark


Horn Shark


* Check the current California fishing regulations to verify any size and limit info in this post is still valid!

[norcalsurfer]

Cool, thanks man! It's nice to have all these in one place. I'm new to San Diego from norcal so I'm brushing up on all these new fish.

[whale tale]

Thanks for the links and pics, I was just looking for this stuff the other day. It's always fun recognizing a fish in the water and I like knowing their spawn seasons/gender markings.

[apeogre]

Great post! Thanks for putting it all together.

[danaslayer]

This should be a sticky, great stuff. Might want to add grass rockfish and brown rockfish and to the list, as well as bonito. The croakers too (spotfin, yellowfin, black) and corbina. And maybe soupfin shark, swell shark, shovelnose/banded guitarfish, angel shark, turbot, and round stingray.

[fishzilla]

Awesome info, maybe for the invertebrates you can add rock crabs, sheep crabs, dungeness crabs and possibly kelp crabs for people to know the difference? Scallops and other shellfish as well?

[U/C Spearo]

Thanks for giving back to the sport !! Nice job

[holmes]

Thanks guys! This is fun. I maxed out the 20 pics limit in both posts before, so here's a follow up post with 20 more.

Disclaimer: any of the limits and minimum sizes may be wrong or change, check the regs.

More Fish ID

Grass Rockfish


Brown Rockfish


Pacific Bonito
Minimum size*: 24" fork length or 5 lbs, except that 5 fish less than 24" fork length or less than 5 lbs may be taken.
Limit*: 10



California Corbina


Yellowfin Croaker


Spotfin Croaker


Black Croaker


CO Turbot


Soupfin Shark


Swell Shark


Shovelnose Guitarfish


Banded Guitarfish


Angel Shark


Pacific Electric Ray aka Torpedo Ray


Round Stingray


Dungeness Crab
Minimum size*: Five and three-quarter inches measured by the shortest distance through the body from edge of shell to edge of shell directly in front of and excluding the points (lateral spines).
Limit*: 10
Maybe not always in season? Maybe subject to temporary closures?



See more on identifying vs close relatives here: https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/...Dungeness-Crab.

Rock Crab
Minimum size*: Four inches measured by the shortest distance through the body, from edge of shell to edge of shell at the widest part, except there is no minimum size in Fish and Game Districts 8 and 9.
Limit*: 35
Maybe not always in season? Maybe subject to temporary closures?



Sheep Crab
Minimum size*: ?
Limit*: ?



Kelp Crab


Sea Hare


* Check the current California fishing regulations to verify any size and limit info in this post is still valid!

[norcalsurfer]

Are the grassies and browns the most common rock fish around here in the shallows?

How do the kelp crabs taste?

[danaslayer]

Originally Posted by norcalsurfer

Are the grassies and browns the most common rock fish around here in the shallows?

How do the kelp crabs taste?

Yep, and tree fish too.

[FreediveCA]

Nice post.

Something I have been curious about is when they say minimum size is "x," except "y" amount of fish can be taken under "x." What the hell does that mean? The way I read it is as long as you have "y" amount of fish under the minimum size you're fine. I never trusted my interpretation and have always gone with the minimum size, but I am curious if I am reading that right.

[phil herranen]

Originally Posted by FreediveCA

Nice post.

Something I have been curious about is when they say minimum size is "x," except "y" amount of fish can be taken under "x." What the hell does that mean? The way I read it is as long as you have "y" amount of fish under the minimum size you're fine. I never trusted my interpretation and have always gone with the minimum size, but I am curious if I am reading that right.

That rule means , you can have X number of that type of fish , undersized , or all of legal size . The only fish with that rule are yt and Bonita. On both the limit is ten , the rule is just there so you don't have a limit of 12" yt , but you can still take a couple rats home for dinner if it's a slow day

[FreediveCA]

Originally Posted by phil herranen

That rule means , you can have X number of that type of fish , undersized , or all of legal size . The only fish with that rule are yt and Bonita. On both the limit is ten , the rule is just there so you don't have a limit of 12" yt , but you can still take a couple rats home for dinner if it's a slow day

Thanks. Guess I was reading it right. Just didn't sound right.

[Trimbandit]

I'm sure this will be helpful for people. If you are going to have limits posted, you might want to note that the WSB bag limit is 1 for 3 months of the year. Or you may want to remove the info about limits, as they tend to change over time and the internet is forever.