California corbina
Encyclopedia
The California corbina (Menticirrhus undulatus) is a saltwater fish and member of the croaker family
. California corbina occur from the Gulf of California
, Mexico
, to Point Conception
, California
. It is a bottom fish found along sandy beach
es and in shallow bay
s. This species travels in small groups along the surf zone
in a few inches of water to depths of 45 feet (13.7 m). The largest recorded specimen was 28 inches (711.2 mm) and 8.5 pounds. Other names include "California kingcroaker," "California whiting," and "sucker." California corbina should not be confused with corvina, which are taken in the Salton Sea
and Gulf of California.
scarcely reaching a point below the front of the eye
. The color is uniform grey with iridescent reflections, and with wavy diagonal lines on the sides. This croaker and the yellowfin croaker
are the only two of the eight coastal croakers present in California waters to have a single fleshy projection, or barbel
, on the lower jaw. The California corbina usually has only one weak spine at the front of the anal fin, while the yellowfin croaker has two strong spines. The caudal fin (tail) is unusual in that the upper half has a concave trailing edge, the lower half trailing edge is convex.
and separate the food by sending the sand through the gills. They are very particular feeders, apparently spitting out bits of clam
shells and other foreign matter. About 90 percent of the food they eat is sand crabs
– Emerita analoga
. Other crustacean
s and clams are of lesser importance. Males mature when 2 years old at a length of about 10 inches and females at age 3 when about 13 inches long. Spawning
extends from June to September, but is heaviest during July and August. Spawning apparently takes place offshore as running ripe fish are not often found in the surf zone. The eggs are free floating. Young corbina, 1 inch long, have been observed outside the surf in 4–8 ft (1.2–2.4 m) of water in August. They travel in large groups, commonly known as the "fish of the sea."
's sandy beaches, although fishing
is at its best from July through September. They are very wary and difficult to hook as many an avid surf fisherman
can affirm. Perhaps one reason is that they tend to mouth and chew their food and don't strike solidly very often. Sand crabs (usually softshells) are the preferred bait
, though some anglers swear by blood worms, mussel
s, clams, pileworms, and ghost shrimp
.
Corbina are sometimes referred to as "Beans," and for the surf fisherman is one of the most prized catches. The Beans, sometimes also referred to a "Sliders" are seen in the summer months as the water warms and the sand crab beds appear in the sand. As an incoming tide fills in the holes, troughs and structure in the beach, Corbina will come in with an incoming wash and utilize the barbel they have under their chin to dig and sometimes can be seen "tailing" for sand crabs. For anglers who prefer to fly fish in the surf, they are especially difficult to bring to hand. The fly patterns they prefer and will hit represent sand crabs, blood worms and other crustaceans.
Although, these fish are difficult to hook, even an amateur spear fisher can easily spear these fish as they are not very wary of human contact. Corbina are the perfect fish to learn how to aim and shoot your spear due to the fishes lack of fight/flight reaction.
Sciaenidae
Sciaenidae is a family of fish commonly called drums, croakers, or hardheads for the repetitive throbbing or drumming sounds they make...
. California corbina occur from the Gulf of California
Gulf of California
The Gulf of California is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, to Point Conception
Point Conception
Point Conception is a headland along the Pacific coast of U.S. state of California, located in southwestern Santa Barbara County. It is the point where the Santa Barbara Channel meets the Pacific Ocean, and as the corner between the mostly north-south trending portion of coast to the north and the...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is a bottom fish found along sandy beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es and in shallow bay
Bay
A bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
s. This species travels in small groups along the surf zone
Surf zone
As ocean surface waves come closer to shore they break, forming the foamy, bubbly surface we call surf. The region of breaking waves defines the surf zone. After breaking in the surf zone, the waves continue to move in, and they run up onto the sloping front of the beach, forming an uprush of...
in a few inches of water to depths of 45 feet (13.7 m). The largest recorded specimen was 28 inches (711.2 mm) and 8.5 pounds. Other names include "California kingcroaker," "California whiting," and "sucker." California corbina should not be confused with corvina, which are taken in the Salton Sea
Salton Sea
The Salton Sea is a shallow, saline, endorheic rift lake located directly on the San Andreas Fault, predominantly in California's Imperial Valley. The lake occupies the lowest elevations of the Salton Sink in the Colorado Desert of Imperial and Riverside counties in Southern California. Like Death...
and Gulf of California.
Description
The body of the California corbina is elongate and slightly compressed. The head is long and the mouth is small, the upper jawJaw
The jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term jaws is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serving to open and close it and is part of the body plan of...
scarcely reaching a point below the front of the eye
Eye
Eyes are organs that detect light and convert it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons. The simplest photoreceptors in conscious vision connect light to movement...
. The color is uniform grey with iridescent reflections, and with wavy diagonal lines on the sides. This croaker and the yellowfin croaker
Yellowfin croaker
Yellowfin croaker is a species of croaker occurring from the Gulf of California, Mexico, to Point Conception, California. They frequent bays, channels, harbors and other nearshore waters over sandy bottoms...
are the only two of the eight coastal croakers present in California waters to have a single fleshy projection, or barbel
Barbel (anatomy)
A barbel on a fish is a slender, whiskerlike tactile organ near the mouth. Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish, sturgeon, the zebrafish and some species of shark...
, on the lower jaw. The California corbina usually has only one weak spine at the front of the anal fin, while the yellowfin croaker has two strong spines. The caudal fin (tail) is unusual in that the upper half has a concave trailing edge, the lower half trailing edge is convex.
Natural history
Adults have been seen feeding in the surf, at times in water so shallow that their backs were exposed. They scoop up mouthfuls of sandSand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
and separate the food by sending the sand through the gills. They are very particular feeders, apparently spitting out bits of clam
Clam
The word "clam" can be applied to freshwater mussels, and other freshwater bivalves, as well as marine bivalves.In the United States, "clam" can be used in several different ways: one, as a general term covering all bivalve molluscs...
shells and other foreign matter. About 90 percent of the food they eat is sand crabs
Hippoidea
Hippoidea is a superfamily of decapod crustaceans known as sand crabs or mole crabs.-Ecology:Hippoids are adapted to burrowing into sandy beaches, a habit they share with raninid crabs, and the parallel evolution of the two groups is striking...
– Emerita analoga
Emerita analoga
Emerita analoga, the Pacific sand crab or Pacific mole crab, is a species of small, sand-burrowing decapod crustacean found living in the sand along the temperate western coasts of America. It is found on exposed sandy beaches in the swash region of the intertidal zone.-Description:The Pacific sand...
. Other crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s and clams are of lesser importance. Males mature when 2 years old at a length of about 10 inches and females at age 3 when about 13 inches long. Spawning
Spawn (biology)
Spawn refers to the eggs and sperm released or deposited, usually into water, by aquatic animals. As a verb, spawn refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, also called spawning...
extends from June to September, but is heaviest during July and August. Spawning apparently takes place offshore as running ripe fish are not often found in the surf zone. The eggs are free floating. Young corbina, 1 inch long, have been observed outside the surf in 4–8 ft (1.2–2.4 m) of water in August. They travel in large groups, commonly known as the "fish of the sea."
Fishing information
California corbina are caught throughout the year along southern CaliforniaSouthern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
's sandy beaches, although fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
is at its best from July through September. They are very wary and difficult to hook as many an avid surf fisherman
Fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
can affirm. Perhaps one reason is that they tend to mouth and chew their food and don't strike solidly very often. Sand crabs (usually softshells) are the preferred bait
Bait (luring substance)
Bait is any substance used to attract prey, e.g. in a mousetrap.-In Australia:Baiting in Australia refers to specific campaigns to control foxes, wild dogs and dingos by poisoning in areas where they are a problem...
, though some anglers swear by blood worms, mussel
Mussel
The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.The...
s, clams, pileworms, and ghost shrimp
Ghost shrimp
Ghost shrimp is a name applied to at least two different kinds of crustacean:*Palaemonetes, small mostly transparent shrimp commonly sold for use in freshwater aquaria*Thalassinidea, crustaceans which live in deep burrows in the intertidal zone....
.
Corbina are sometimes referred to as "Beans," and for the surf fisherman is one of the most prized catches. The Beans, sometimes also referred to a "Sliders" are seen in the summer months as the water warms and the sand crab beds appear in the sand. As an incoming tide fills in the holes, troughs and structure in the beach, Corbina will come in with an incoming wash and utilize the barbel they have under their chin to dig and sometimes can be seen "tailing" for sand crabs. For anglers who prefer to fly fish in the surf, they are especially difficult to bring to hand. The fly patterns they prefer and will hit represent sand crabs, blood worms and other crustaceans.
Although, these fish are difficult to hook, even an amateur spear fisher can easily spear these fish as they are not very wary of human contact. Corbina are the perfect fish to learn how to aim and shoot your spear due to the fishes lack of fight/flight reaction.