In the 2012 President's Budget Request, the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) is terminated. As a result, all resources, databases, tools, and applications within this web site will be removed on January 15, 2012. For more information, please refer to the NBII Program Termination page.
Prevent the transport of nuisance species. Clean all recreational equipment. www.ProtectYourWaters.net
When you leave a body of water:
Remove any visible mud, plants, fish or animals before transporting equipment.
Eliminate water from equipment before transporting.
Clean and dry anything that comes into contact with water (boats, trailers, equipment, clothing, dogs, etc.)
Never release plants, fish or animals into a body of water unless they came out of that body of water.
NFHAP Partnerships for Fish Habitat
[Image: National Fish Habitat Action Plan]
Partnerships are a key element of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, a collaborative effort to address a nationwide crisis for fish by addressing the loss and degradation of their habitat. Public and private partnerships developed as part of the NFHAP reflect the locally-driven nature of the Plan. NFHAP partnerships are "self-identified, self-organized, and self-directed communities of interest formed around geographic areas, keystone species, or system types". Visit the NFHAP Fish Habitat Partnerships page to find partnerships in your region through a map, descriptions, and links.
As a federal-level partner, the USGS-NBII houses the data delivery system supporting the National Fish Habitat Action Plan. Find out more about NBII's role in the NFHAP and the data associated with the Plan.
Fishes of California
Garibaldi Damselfish [Photo: Dr. Antonio J. Ferreira, California Academy of Sciences]
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. Freshwater fish are fishes that live at least part, if not all, of their lives in bodies of fresh water with a salinity of less than .05%. Forty-one percent of all known fish species are found in freshwater. 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.
The California Department of Fish and Game maintains the threatened and endangered fish list, with 34 species and subspecies of fishes listed as either threatened or endangered by the State of California or the federal government. Two species, the thicktail chub and the tecopa pupfish, are listed as extinct.
More California fish resources include:
The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Biology at the University of California Davis provide static distribution maps on more than 100 native and non-native species across California.
Contrary to freshwater fish and saltwater fish, anadromous fish migrate between marine and freshwater. Many of these fish, such as salmon, reproduce in freshwater but spend the majority of their adult lives at sea. By associating different habitats with different stages of life, anadromous fish are able to balance salt concentrations between their bodies and their surrounding. The North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC) was established to promote the conservation of anadromous fish in the North Pacific Ocean. NPAFC works with Canada, Japan, Repbublic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United States on a number of different research projects. They focus on seven different species of anadromous fish.
California Coastal Fishes
Click on the species name to view go to the Species Profile. Select the
to go to the FishBase species page, or click on the
to see the ITIS species report.
Description:This species is one of two California native salmon species. Coho are fairly large and can weigh up to more than 20 pounds. Anadramous, they live in the ocean as well as inland waters, and are generally dark and drab in color. Both ocean and inland salmon are shades of dark blue and green with silvery sides, turning red when spawning. Juvenile coho salmon have sickle shaped anal and dorsal fins distinguishing them from other salmon species.
Life History:The coho travel to small inland streams in September for spawning, usually laying at least one hundred eggs at each spawning site. The eggs incubate from November until around April, and the juveniles (or parr) gradually separate and move to deeper water. After a year of rearing in fresh water, they may move to marine waters, where they usually spend three years before returning inland to spawn.
Habitat:These fish live in inland waters as well as coastal waters. Mature coho spend their time in inland fresh water for spawning from September until January.
Distribution:Coho salmon are found along the northern half of California coast, through Canada, into Alaska. They are also found in Russian and Japanese coastal waters.
Status:Coho populations are currently listed as threatened or endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Recovery efforts are underway.
Resources:California Department of Fish and Game, Fisheries Resources and Species Management- Coho salmon
Featured Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Resource
For more information about fishes nationwide, visit the NBII Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (NBII-FAR) web site. There you can find further web resources on fishes and aquatic organisms and the diverse factors affecting aquatic resources nationally.
![NFHAP Come Together Shark [Image: National Fish Habitat Action Plan]](https://cybercemetery.unt.edu/archive/nbii/20120112215509im_/http://www.nbii.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_26218_1879_6864_43/http%3B/cbi-lap7.cbi.cr.usgs.gov%3B7097/publishedcontent/publish/geographic/mountain_prairie/mpin_nfhap_partnerships/mpin_nfhap_partnerships_1.jpg)
to go to the FishBase species page, or click on the
to see the ITIS species report.
