Spotted Kelpfish

Spotted Kelpfish, Gibbonsia elegans

Spotted Kelpfish, Gibbonsia elegans, Juvenile. Fish caught from within Monterey Bay, Monterey, California, August 2020. Length: 10.1 cm (4.0 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Luke Ovgard, Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Spotted Kelpfish, Gibbonsia elegans, Juvenile. Fish caught from coastal waters off Ocean Beach, San Diego, California, January 2018. Length: 11.2 cm (4.4 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Ben Cantrell, San Diego, California.

Spotted Kelpfish, Gibbonsia elegans. Fish caught from coastal waters off Carlsbad, California, October 2017. Length: 11.7 cm (4.6 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Ben Cantrell, San Diego, California.

Spotted Kelpfish, Gibbonsia elegans. Underwater photograph taken in Mission Bay, San Diego, California, September 2017. Photograph and identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.

Spotted Kelpfish, Gibbonsia elegans. Underwater photograph taken in coastal waters off La Jolla, California, July 2019. Photograph and identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.

The Spotted Kelpfish, Gibbonsia elegans, is a member of the Kelp Blenny or Clinidae Family, that is known in Mexico as sargacero manchado. Globally, there are four species in the genus Gibbonsia, of which three are found in Mexican waters all three in the Pacific Ocean.

The Spotted Kelpfish has an elongated and compressed body and a small tufeeted cirrus around each eye. They are cryptically colored and have three different and common morphologies, brown, and green, and red that closely match their surrounding plant habitat. A key to identification is the presence of 1 to 3 ocellated spots along the center line between the mid-body and caudal peduncle. Their fins are pale or have bands. Their head is elongated and pointed with a short bluntly pointed snout, a small terminal mouth, and modest-sized eyes. Their anal fin has 1 to 3 spines and 21 to 25 rays; their caudal fin is slightly rounded; their dorsal fin is very long and elevated at both end with 31 to 35 spines and 5 to 8 rays; their pectoral fins are long with 11 to 13 spines; and, their pelvic fins have 1 spine and 2 or 3 rays. Their posterior dorsal rays are more widely spaced than their anterior rays (a key to identification). They have 4 or 5 gill rakers on the top arch and 8 to 12 gill rakers on the lower arch. They are covered with scales which extend into the caudal fin (a key to identification).

The Spotted Kelpfish are found within dense seaweed beds and rocky areas in open coasts, in eelgrass, and in other vegetation of calm bays, from intertidal levels to depths up to 56 m (185 feet). Females are found in shallower waters than males. They are found associated with a large number of different plant species as they have the ability to change colors to match their surroundings. They reach a maximum of 16.0 cm (6.3 inches) in length. They feed on algae, small crustaceans, mollusks, and polychaete worms. Reproduction is oviparous with females depositing eggs in nests attached to short seaweed at the bottom; eggs are vigorously guarded by males until they hatch. They have a lifespan of up to seven years. The Spotted Kelpfish is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

The Spotted Kelpfish is a resident of Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean but have a limited distribution being found from Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur, northward along the central and northwest coasts of Baja.

The Spotted Kelpfish is very similar to, but much smaller than, the Crevice Kelpfish, Gibbonsia montereyensis (equal dorsal ray spacing; non-scaled caudal fin), the Giant Kelpfish, Heterostichus rostratus (forked tail), and the Striped Kelpfish, Gibbonsia metzi (equal dorsal ray spacing; non-scaled caudal fin).

From a conservation perspective the Spotted Kelpfish is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are small in stature and seldom caught by hook and line. They are of limited interest to most however they are utilized by the aquarium trade on a limited basis.