surfperch

[ surf-purch ]

noun

, plural (especially collectively) surf·perch, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) surf·perch·es.

1. any of several fishes of the viviparous family Embiotocidae, mostly inhabiting shallow waters along the Pacific coast of North America: named for certain similarities to perch.

surfperch

/ ˈsɜːfˌpɜːtʃ /

noun

1. any viviparous marine percoid fish of the family Embiotocidae, of North American Pacific coastal waters Also calledsea perch

Word History and Origins

Origin of surfperch¹

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; surf + perch ²

Example Sentences

She was astounded by the dynamic beauty of surfperch in the kelp forest: the way they communicate through the color and brightness of their skin, flashing blue, silver and orange to attract mates.

From New York Times

Meanwhile, the surfperch Embiotoca lateralis, which dwells in the densest and dimmest regions of the kelp forest have different eye anatomies.

From Nature

The researchers also found traces of small marine mammals, along with rockfish, sculpin, surfperch as well as herring and/or sardine.

From Scientific American

For several years, she studied various species of surfperch, repeatedly diving in the kelp forests with a Plexiglas-protected spectrometer to quantify and characterize the light in different habitats.

From New York Times

In her studies, Cummings showed that surfperch living in dim or murky waters generally preferred shiny ornaments, while surfperch inhabiting zones of mercurial brightness favored bold colors.

From New York Times