Monkeyface pricklebacks Cebidichthys violaceous are eel-like fishes in the family Stichaeidae that live in rocky intertidal and shallow subtidal habitats from Oregon to northern Baja California. The herbivorous nature of this species along with other life history characteristics, make them an attractive new species for aquaculture development in California. Their richly flavored flesh gives this fish potential for developing a new market as a sustainable product, and its flavor profile can be adopted in sushi restaurants an alternative to freshwater eels traditionally used for unagi. Our study is currently assessing reproductive performance in captivity, their cranial morphometrics for sex determination, as well as a dietary study comparing how different feed types maximize growth.
Our reproductive study assesses monkeyface pricklebacks’ potential for reproduction in captivity. Reproductive success from this experiment will indicate what stocking density/sex ratio/ and nesting habitat is preferred for the species. Sex determination in monkeyface pricklebacks is unknown. Ultrasound and Passive Integrated Transponders (PIT) tagging of individuals helped with sex determination and tracking for our reproduction experiment. After the conclusion of the reproduction experiment, we will then examine cranial morphometrics to evaluate whether the size of the fish’s supraorbital crest is a sexually dimorphic trait. Results will inform us and other resource managers for distinguishing males and females when an ultrasound is not available. We are also conducting a 12-week feeding study on juveniles comparing algal-based and terrestrial-based feed types to see if Specific Growth Rate (SGR), Feed conversion ratio (FCR), and other animal health/ growth metrics are influence by diet type.