Family StichaeidaePricklebacks Selected Characters: Body elongate, compressed; dorsal and anal fins long; mouth small; anal fin origin at or before midbody; all dorsal rays spinous in most species; pelvic fins thoracic and small if present. This a family of elongate fishes found in the cool northern oceans, with most species in the northern Pacific. Most species are less than 25 cm long, but a few may reach 50 cm. Pricklebacks are generally found inshore and at the bottom. They can frequently be found in tidepools. In most species, all the dorsal rays are strong, sharp spines (the source of the name 'prickleback'), although some species have a few soft-rays at the posterior end of the dorsal fin. Pricklebacks feed on a variety of invertebrates, larvae and algae. There are about 65 species with 11 found here. This family is common in Puget Sound. Puget Sound Species Anoplarchus insignis Slender Cockscomb Anoplarchus purpurescens High Cockscomb Chirolophis decoratus Decorated Warbonnet Chirolophis nugator Mosshead Warbonnet Lumpenus maculatus Daubed Shanny Lumpenus sagitta Snake Prickleback Phytichthys chirus Ribbon Prickleback Plectobranchus evides Bluebarred Prickleback Poroclinus rothrocki Whitebarred Prickleback Xiphister atropurpureus Black Prickleback Xiphister mucosus Rock Prickleback |