Stats

Lifespan

Up to 18 yrs

Size

Medium

Diet

Herbivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Solitary

Biome

Rocky intertidal

Range

North America

Movement

Swimming

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Camouflage

Status

Rare

About

Monkey-faced Pricklebacks are a type of fish native to the Pacific coast of North America. Despite their eel-like appearance, they are not true eels and are classified as either Perciformes or Scorpaeniformes.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   hatchling fry

   A tiny fry hatches with a yolk sac and begins free-swimming once the sac is absorbed.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   A juvenile takes on adult body shape and feeds on small prey, often in nursery waters.
3. 3.
   adult

   Fully grown at adult size and coloration.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Actinopterygii

Order

Perciformes

Family

Cebidichthyidae

Genus

Cebidichthys

Species

Cebidichthys violaceus