Family Agonidae - poachers
Poachers are fish of cold marine waters in the north Atlantic and north Pacific ocean. They are small fish (less than 30 cm) inhabiting shallow tidepools to depths greater than 700 meters. Their bodies are elongate with the scales modified into bony plates. Although poachers have no market value, commercial trawlers frequently catch them while in pursuit of other species.
Pygmy poacher- Odontopyxis trispinosa
Remarks: A small fish commonly missed or misidentified by observers and sportfishers. This bottom dwelling fish darts about in short bursts.
Identification: The body has bony plates with spines aligned in rows. Its head is short and blunt having two nasal spines in the middle of the snout. All poachers typically have large rounded pectoral fins and the pelvic fins are reduced to not much more than a spine. Coloration is also very similar in poachers, brown or tan above with blotches on the sides and a paler underside.
Range: This fish ranges from Alaska to central Baja and can be found in 9m to 373m of water.
Tubenose poacher- Pallasina barbata
Remarks: Like the pygmy poacher the tubenose is a smaller fish that is easily overlooked. It is a bottom dweller which eats invertebrates. Often found within eelgrass beds and other seaweeds.
Identification: Having a long snout and smooth bony plates make this poacher identifiable. The lower jaw of this poacher extends beyond the upper jaw and has a barbel. Coloration is brown mottled above and pale underneath. Maximum size for these fish is about 14cm.
Range: The Bering Sea to Bodega Bay from the intertidal zones to 128m.
Pricklebreast poacher- Stellerina xyosterna
Remarks: When found in the bay it normally will be residing on the mud flats. Diet consists of mostly invertebrates and smaller fishes.
Identification: The mouth is upturned and the body is thickest in the middle tapering off to a slender caudal peduncle. Its caudal and anal fin are both black edged and there are prickles (small bumps) located on the breast of this poacher. Size reached by this species is 16cm.
Range: Found from Queen Charlotte Islands southward to Baja. Habitat includes both mud and sand bottoms to a depth of 75m.