Silver Surfperch, Hyperprosopon ellipticum

Silver Surfperch, Hyperprosopon ellipticum. Fish caught from coastal waters off Swanton, California, January 2024. Length: 13 cm (5.1 inches) an d 14 cm (5.5 inches), respectfully. Catch, photograph and Identification courtesy of Vince Golder, Santa Cruz, California.

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

The Silver Surfperch is small in stature with a body that is short and deep and strongly compressed with an oval profile that is 43% to 47% of standard length. They have a small head, and a moderately large mouth. They are dark green dorsally transitioning to silvery ventrally. They have a series of faint dusky bars on the sides. Their anal fin occasionally has an orange spot, their caudal fin is pink, their pectoral and pelvic fins are colorless. Their anal fin has 3 spines and 29 to 34 rays; their dorsal fin has 8 to 10 spines and 25 to 28 rays. Their body is covered with scales. Their lateral line is complete.

The Silver Surfperch is found within the sandy surf zone near rocks, piers and within bays at depths of up to 110 m (360 feet) mixed in with other species of surfperch. They reach a maximum of 27 cm (11 inches) in length and 180 g (6.4 oz) in weight. They are sexually dimorphic with the females being larger and growing faster than the males. They feed on algae, amphipods, small crustaceans, fish, and shrimp. In turn they are preyed upon by California Halibut, various sea birds, bottlenose dolphins, and harbor seals. Reproduction is viviparous with internal fertilization, and the females give birth to from three to seventeen live, highly developed, free swimming young. They have life spans of 7 years. The Silver Surfperch is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, diet, growth, habitat, longevity, movement patterns, and reproduction.

The Silver Surfperch is a resident of Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean but has a very limited distribution and exceedingly rare being found only from the Rio San Vicente, northern Baja California, along the extreme northwest coast of the Baja Peninsula.

The Silver Surfperch is most likely confused with the Walleye Surfperch, Hyperprosopon argenteum (black pelvic fin tips, larger eyes, darker fins).

From a conservation perspective the Silver Surfperch has not been formally evaluated. They are very common in certain regions, have a wide distribution and should be considered to be of Least Concern. They are a favorite of pier fishermen in Central and Northern California as they are abundant and easy to catch. However, due to their small size they are of limited value. The Silver Surfperch can be found in public aquariums.