Cebidichthys violaceus (Monkeyface Prickleback)
Credit: Michael H. Horn
about the species
The Monkeyface Prickleback (Cebidichthys violaceus) is an eel-shaped fish in the family Stichaeidae and the only species its genus. It recruits to the rocks of the intertidal zone as a juvenile and migrates to the shallow subtidal as an adult. Cebidichthys is nearly endemic to California with its range extending from Point Conception to just north of the Oregon border. Their diet consists of zooplankton and small crustaceans as juveniles, but changes to predominantly algae during their development, making C. violaceus a relatively rare example of a temperate marine herbivorous fish.
why species was selected
Cebidichthys violaceus is almost entirely native to the California coastline and one of a battalion of eel-like fishes that are exquisitely adapted to life in the intertidal, making it an excellent candidate for genomic study. Though there is no large-scale commercial fishery for C. violaceus currently, it is recreationally fished and a future candidate for aquaculture.
