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Exploring the beautiful nature of California


Marine Fish: Blacksmith


Fishes are aquatic vertebrates that have fins, gills and scales. Gills are the part of the respiratory system that provide surface area for exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide under water.

Fish are ectotherms, commonly referred to as 'cold-blooded', meaning their temperature is regulated by the temperature of their environment. They have a range of diets, being herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores. Some fish reproduce by laying eggs, while others reproduce by bearing live young.

California fish species reside in freshwater and coastal/marine waters. Coastal, or marine fish are an abundant and valuable resource. However, the ocean's supply is not limitless, and therefore careful planning and education must be undertaken to ensure the sustainability of the world's largest food source.
blacksmith are fairly small marine fish off the coast of California Blacksmith are members of the damselfishes family, Pomacentridae. Although most other damselfishes are found in tropical waters, the blacksmith and the garibaldi inhabit the temperate waters of southern California and the subtropical of Baja California’s west coast.

Blacksmith are primarily inshore fish. They frequent reefs and are also found schooling under and around structures such as oil rigs. They may be found as deep as 269 feet, but are more common from the surface to 148 feet. Very young fish use kelp beds for a habitat.

The blacksmith is a perch shaped fish, elongate, but deep-bodied and compressed. The caudal fin is notched with pointed lobes. The back of the adult is very dark, almost black, with a blue tinge. The sides are a lighter bluish-gray. Scales from mid-body to the tail and the caudal and dorsal fins have black spots. There is frequently a blue border on the caudal, dorsal, and anal fins.
Juvenile fish are more brightly colored until they get to about 2 inches in length. The front part of year old fish is blue-gray and the rear yellow-orange. Although they can reach 12 inches in length, these fish are usually 4-8 inches long.

Blacksmith are believed to become sexually mature at about two years of age when they are just over 5 inches long. Spawning takes place primarily during the summer months. The male prepares a nesting area where the female lays masses of salmon-colored eggs which he then fertilizes.

Males guarding nests change from their usual gray blue to an almost white color with a dark band around each eye. The male guards the eggs aggressively until they hatch and the larvae disperse into the plankton population.
California blacksmith fish are founf off the coast of California Larvae have been collected as far as 300 miles offshore but they are mostly found within 100 miles of shore. Juveniles usually first appear in schools in late summer and early fall. They are semi-pelagic but are often observed in kelp beds.

Blacksmith  fish are very gregarious. They school, sometimes in large numbers, typically swimming in open water well above the ocean bottom feeding on plankton. During their resting hours from sunset to sunrise they gather in closely knit aggregations in caves, under ledges, in crevices, or in other protected areas. Adults let senorita fish and several species of surfperch clean them. Juvenile blacksmith have been observed cleaning other fish.

Because of their small size blacksmith are not an important sport or commercial fish. They are rarely hooked by anglers because of their very small mouth but can be subject to spear fishing activity. They are sometimes sold in fish markets as part of a perch catch.
The California Department of Fish and Game prohibits taking them in selected marine protected areas, primarily in no-take zones.

Natural predators of blacksmith are larger fish, fish-eating marine birds such as Least Terns and Cormorants, Bald Eagles on Santa Catalina Island, California sea lions, and harbor seals. The seals probe crevices at night, probably finding prey by touch with their vibrissae, and swallowing them whole underwater.

Blacksmith are subject to infection by the bacterium Vibrio damsella. Affected fish develop lesions on their sides and large numbers may die in late spring or early summer when the pathogen seems to have its greatest influence. It appears that other fish are not affected by this organism.
 
 
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