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Salton Sea Fishes

This is a list of mostly nonindigenous fishes reported from waters of the Salton Sea that link to information pages by the NAS of the Biological Resources Division of the United States Geological Survey. Please visit the Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program site . "These reports reflect established populations, single specimens, and eradicated populations." This following list may not be completely exhaustive but represents the majority of species cited in the literature. They are listed alphabetically by Family. Both common and scientific names are listed for easy recognition.

Family:/Common Name

Scienctific Name
Family: Albulidae

bonefish                       Albula vulpes


Family: Atherinidae

       silverside                    Atherinops regius

       Gulf grunion                  Leuresthes sardina

       inland silverside             Menidia beryllina


Family: Carangidae

       green jack                    Caranx caballus

       paloma pompano                Trachinotus paitensis


Family: Centrarchidae

       smallmouth bass               Micropterus dolomieu

       spotted bass                  Micropterus punctulatus

       largemouth bass               Micropterus salmoides


Family: Cichlidae

       blue tilapia                  Oreochromis aureus

       Mozambique tilapia            Oreochromis mossambicus

       Wami tilapia                  Oreochromis urolepis

       redbelly tilapia              Tilapia zillii


Family: Clariidae

       walking catfish               Clarias batrachus


Family: Clupeidae

       threadfin shad                Dorosoma petenense

       deepbody thread herring       Opisthonema libertate


Family: Cyprinidae

       grass carp                    Ctenopharyngodon idella

       red shiner                    Cyprinella lutrensis

       common carp                   Cyprinus carpio

       golden shiner                 Notemigonus crysoleucas

       Sacramento blackfish          Orthodon microlepidotus

       fathead minnow                Pimephales promelas

       splittail                     Pogonichthys macrolepidotus

       speckled dace                 Rhinichthys osculus


Family: Cyprinodontidae

       desert pupfish                Cyprinodon macularius


Family: Embiotocidae

       tule perch                    Hysterocarpus traski


Family: Engraulidae

       anchovy                       Anchoa mundeoloides

       anchoveta                     Cetengraulis mysticetus

       northern anchovy              Engraulis mordax


Family: Fundulidae

       rainwater killifish           Lucania parva


Family: Gerreidae

       spotfin mojarra               Eucinostomus argenteus

       Pacific flagfin mojarra       Eucinostomus gracilis


Family: Gobiidae

       longjaw mudsucker             Gillichthys mirabilis

       mudsucker                     Gillichthys seta


Family: Haemulidae

       sargo                         Anisotremus davidsonii


Family: Ictaluridae

       black bullhead                Ameiurus melas

       yellow bullhead               Ameiurus natalis


Family: Kyphosidae

       opaleye                       Girella simplicidens


Family: Moronidae

       striped bass                  Morone saxatilis


Family: Mugilidae

       striped mullet                Mugil cephalus

       white mullet                  Mugil curema


Family: Nematistiidae

       roosterfish                   Nematistius pectoralis


Family: Paralichthyidae

       fringed flounder              Etropus crossotus

       halibut                       Paralichthys aestuarius

       halibut                       Paralichthys woolmani


Family: Pleuronectidae

       diamond turbot                Hypsopsetta guttulata


 Family:  Poeciliidae

       mosquitofish                  Gambusia affinis

       sailfin molly                 Poecilia latipinna

       shortfin molly                Poecilia mexicana

       porthole livebearer           Poeciliopsis gracilis


Family: Salmonidae

       coho salmon                   Oncorhynchus kisutch

       rainbow trout                 Oncorhynchus mykiss


Family: Sciaenidae

       bairdiella                    Bairdiella icistia

       scalyfin corvina              Cynoscion othonopterus

       shortfin corvina              Cynoscion parvipinnis

       orangemouth corvina           Cynoscion xanthulus

       corbina                       Menticirrhus nasus

       California corbina            Menticirrhus undulatus

       croaker                       Micropogonias megalops

       totuava                       Totoaba macdonaldi


Family: Scombridae

       gulf sierra                   Scomberomorus concolor

Family:  Serranidae

       spotted sand bass             Paralabrax maculatofasciatus


Links to the Biological Resources Division of the United States Geological Survey