Barred surfperch

The barred surfperch (Amphistichus argenteus) is a species of surfperch native to inshore waters from northern California, United States to southern Baja California, Mexico. It is also known as the sandperch, silver perch, or California perch.

They are one of 3 species of the genus Amphistichus, and one of the six species in the subfamily Amphistichinae (Which includes Amphistichus and Hyperprosopon.)

Habitat

Barred surfperch range from Guerrero Negro in Central Baja California, to Northern California, and are rarely seen north of Bodega Bay.

While often ranging in shallow waters of the surf zone under 5 m (16 ft) deep, the fish has also been identified at depths up to 73 m (240 ft). They are often found along sandy beaches longer than 1 km (0.62 mi) but are also seen in enclosed "pocket beaches" in coves. Occasionally they may be found above rocky substrates, near pier pilings, or in bays.

Behaviour

The diet of the barred surfperch consists predominantly of sand crabs, which may be as much as 90% of the fish's diet. They also eat polychaete worms, skeleton shrimps and gammarid zooplankton, and small fish like anchovies and juvenile sardines. It also consumes small bivalve mollusks like bean clams and small mussels.

Younger fish occasionally eat fish eggs of the Northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax), Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax caeruleus), and smelts—Osmerids and Atherinopsids.

As a demersal feeder, they are often found close to the bottom of the seabed.