The Greenling Family – Hexagrammidae

There are currently TWO members of the Greenling or Hexagrammidae Family, it from the Pacific Ocean, presented in this website:

FROM THE PACIFIC (2):

The Greenling or Hexagrammidae Family has twelve global members that are found in five genera of which four species in three genera are found in Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean. The family includes the Atka Mackerel, Combfish, Greenlings and Lingcod Collectively they are known at molvas in Mexico.

The Greenlings have moderately elongated and compressed bodies. They are small to moderately sized fish averaging around 50 cm (20 inches) in length, however, the Lingcod can reach 1.52 m (5 feet 0 inches) in length. They are highly variable in color differing by sex, size, geographic location, and local habitat. They are characterized by broad and spiny anal, dorsal, and pectoral fins. They each have an anal fin with a long base and a single dorsal fin that is notched with 16 to 28 spines and 11 to 30 rays. They have head cirri and small teeth. They are covered with scales and have 1 to 5 lateral lines.

The Greenlings are demersal species that are found intertidally to depths up to 610 m (2,000 feet) but the majority are found inshore on the continental shelf. They reside in temperate and subarctic waters of the northern Pacific and are found along rocky shorelines and in kelp beds; at certain times of the year they are also found in tidal pools. They are scavengers but also eat small fish and small invertebrates such as crabs. The Greenlings, 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 Greenlings are caught with some frequency by recreational fishermen and by spear fishermen. Only the Lingcod is of commercial importance and it is sold for human consumption and deemed to be a quality food fish.