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Black pricklebacks

Xiphister atropurpureus
A black prickleback facing towards the camera, mouth slightly agape

Black pricklebacks

Xiphister atropurpureus
Other Common Names
Black Spiny Back
At the Aquarium
Rocky Coast
Other Common Names
Black Spiny Back

At the Aquarium

Rocky Coast

Appearance

Long, eel-like body that is reddish-brown to black in color and has tiny pectoral fins. The head has three dark bands with bright outlines extending from the eyes. The head has a bluntly rounded snout and large, high-set eyes.

Habitat

In tidepools from the lower limit of the intertidal and subtidally over gravel and rocky areas to shallow subtidal.

Diet

Red and green algae, surfgrass, seaweed, worms, snails, and zooplankton including copepods, crustacean larvae, echinoderm larvae, mysis shrimps.

Life History

These fish are oviparous. A female produces between 500 and 8,000 white or yellow eggs. She lays these as several clumps of eggs that will then be guarded by males under rocks in the intertidal. Each egg mass is between 8 and 20 inches in diameter. At hatching, larvae are between 0.3-0.4 inches long. Eventually fully grow up to 13.75 inches and live up to 15 years.

IUCN Status

Not Evaluated

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Black pricklebacks feed their predators including whitespotted greenlings, steller sea lions, minks, and garter snakes.
Range
From San Martin, Baja California, Mexico to western Gulf of Alaska at Kodiak Island
On the Oregon Coast
These fish can be observed in tidepools in Oregon.
Fun Facts
Can spend up to twenty-four hours out of water by breathing air while staying in moist areas such as under rocks or in seagrass.

Citations & Other Resources

  • Fishes of the Salish Sea
  • Love, Milton S. Certainly more than you want to know about the fishes of the Pacific Coast: a postmodern experience. Really Big Press: Santa Barbara. 2011. 649 pp. ISBN 978-0-9628725-6-3
  • Mexican Fish
  • Reflex Net
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About Oregon Coast Aquarium

Since opening in 1992, the Oregon Coast Aquarium has been a premier attraction on Oregon’s central coast and an enduring advocate for the health of our ocean. For over three decades this 501(c)3 non-profit organization has supported marine wildlife and fostered environmental stewardship through its education programs, community partnerships, and rehabilitation efforts. Accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, the Oregon Coast Aquarium is consistently ranked as one of the top 10 aquariums in the U.S., providing visitors with opportunities to connect with 15,000 animals spanning 300 different species. The Oregon Coast Aquarium is located at 2820 S.E. Ferry Slip Rd., Newport, OR. Learn more about the Oregon Coast Aquarium and its vital work at aquarium.org, 541-867-3474. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter for the latest updates.

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