The Sea Chub Family – Kyphosidae

There are currently EIGHT members of the Sea Chub or Kyphosidae Family, one from the Atlantic Ocean, six from the Pacific Ocean, and one from both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, are presented in this website:

FROM THE ATLANTIC (1):

FROM THE PACIFIC (6):

FROM THE ATLANTIC AND THE PACIFIC (1):

The fish of the Sea Chub or Kyphosidae Family The family has fifty-six global members that have been placed into fifteen genera. They are found circumglobally. are known in Mexico’s fishing areas as chopas.

The Sea Chubs are normally drab in color, darker above and lighter below, and most have yellow or blue longitudinal stripes along their sides, which can quickly transition to a pale spotted phase indicative of aggressive behavior.

The Sea Chubs have oblong to oval compressed bodies with small heads which have small mouths with blunt snouts that are horizontal and open in the front. They are medium-sized fish with the largest being 78 cm (2 feet 7 inches) in length. Their small mouths are equipped with a set of close-set incisiform teeth in a regular row that have round tips in a peculiar hockey-stick shape with a horizontal base. Their anal fins have 3 spines and 11 to 13 rays; their caudal fins vary from concave to forked; their dorsal fins are continuous with 11 to 14 spines that fold down into a scaly groove and 11 to 15 rays; their pectoral fins are short; and, their pelvic fins are short and originate behind the base of the pectoral fins. Their bodies are covered with small, thick, and rough scales.

The Sea Chubs are omnivorous, but feed mainly on benthic algae and small invertebrates associated with seaweed, with one species from the eastern Pacific being a mid-water feeder of zooplanktivore. They are schooling fish known to form huge aggregations that swarm over reef surfaces in shallow waters. Adults are found in-shore over rocky bottoms, coral reefs, and in caves or schooling far off shore. Juveniles are pelagic and found among floating debris. The Sea Chubs, in general, are 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 Sea Chubs are not of significant commercial importance. They are taken by artisanal fishermen with hooks and line, by gill nets or with spears. Although abundant in some areas, they are very difficult to catch by hook and line due to their dietary preferences. Their flesh is edible but not highly esteemed.

From a conservation perspective the Sea Chubs are generally considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. Some have not been formally evaluated from a conservation perspective.