Kelp greenling
Kelp greenling | |
---|---|
Hexagrammos decagrammus (male) | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Scorpaeniformes |
Family: | Hexagrammidae |
Genus: | Hexagrammos |
Species: | H. decagrammus |
Binomial name | |
Hexagrammos decagrammus (Pallas, 1810) | |
Hexagrammos decagrammus, the kelp greenling, is a species of greenling that occurs in rocky nearshore areas of the northern Pacific especially around British Columbia and Alaska, and is common on kelp beds and on sand bottoms. They feed on crustaceans, polychaete worms, brittle stars, mollusks, and small fishes. The young are food for large predators such as lingcod and halibut.
Fishing
This species is frequently caught by hook and line, fishing from shore or skiff, as well as speared by divers. They are commonly caught by fishermen targeting other species, and are often viewed as pests, despite their scrappy fight and tasty flesh. They are easily caught around rocky cliffs and kelp beds, and respond to a wide variety of natural and artificial baits. This fish was caught on the show Robson's Extreme Fishing Challenge.