Spotfin Surfperch, Hyperprosopon analis

Spotfin Surfperch, Hyperprosopon analis. Fish caught off the Pacifica Pier, Pacifica, California, June 2022. Length: 12.4 cm (4.9 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of George Brinkman, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

Spotfin Surfperch, Hyperprosopon analis. Fish caught from coastal waters off Half Moon Bay, Halfmoon Bay, California, June 2022. Length: 13.2 cm (5.2 inches). Catch, photographs, and identifications courtesy of Chris Moore, Peoria, Arizona.

The Spotfin Surfperch, Hyperprosopon analis, is a member of the Surfperch or Embiotocidae Family, and is known in Mexico as mojarra aletimanchada. There are three global species in the genus Hyperprosopon, and all three are found in Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean.

The Spotfin Surfperch has a compressed deep elongated oval fusiform body that is 32% to 36% of standard length. They are silvery in color with transparent fins. The rear of the anal fin and the front of the dorsal fin are black tipped and the base of the pectoral fins is black. Their head is pointed with a large prominent eye and an oblique mouth with a projecting lower jaw that opens in the front. Their anal fin has 3 spines and 21 or 22 rays; their caudal fin is lunate; and, their dorsal fin is continuous with 8 spines and 13 to 15 rays. Their body is covered with scales. Their lateral line is complete.

The Spotfin Surfperch is found at depths up to 100 m (330 feet). They reach a maximum of 20 cm (7.9 inches) in length. They feed primarily on small crustaceans. They are preyed upon by California halibut, various sea birds, bottlenose dolphins, and harbor seals. Reproduction is viviparous. Females care for the developing young until they mature. The Spotfin Surfperch 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 Spotfin Surfperch is a resident of Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean but has a limited distribution being found from Bahía Blanca, Baja California, northward along the central and northwest coasts of Baja.

The Spotfin Surfperch is straightforward to identify due to its body shape, large prominent eyes and black tipped anal and dorsal fins.

From a conservation perspective the Spotfin Surfperch has not been formally evaluated. They are a rare catch by recreational anglers. They are small in stature, rare, and of limited interest to most.