Monkeyface prickleback Tank #2
Cebidichthys violaceus
Group: Phylum Osteichthyes
Range: Brookings, Oregon to Baja, California
Habitat: Crevices and holes in shallow rocky areas to depths of 80 feet (24 m)
Predators/defenses:
Fish-eating birds such as herons and great egrets prey on juvenile monkeyface-eels. Other predators include cabezon and grass rockfish.
Diet/feeding:
Juvenile monkeyface pricklebacks eat crustaceans and algae. At two to three inches in length, they become herbivores mostly. Another reference (Love, 1996) said that adults eat amphipods, worms, clam siphons and algae.
Reproduction:
Peak spawning time is from February to April. Fertilization is internal. After mating, a female deposits 17,500 to 46,000 eggs in a mass on subtidal, rocky surfaces. Often the parents guard the eggs until they hatch.
Interesting tidbits:
The Monkeyface prickleback is the target of a specialized sport fishery called “poke poling.”
These fish don’t move around much, seldom traveling more than 15 feet from their home. If they found in a tidepool crevice, they should be returned to the same spot. If tidepool rocks are disturbed, they should be put back in the same place so the prickleback can return to its home.
These fish can breathe air and, in a moist area, can stay out of the water for at least 35 hours.
To ask visitors:
Sources:
Internet:
www.mbayaq.org
Audubon, page 671