Kelp Greenling

At a glance

Kelp Greenling (Hexagrammos decagrammus) is an IUCN Least Concern bony-fish species regulated in 4 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.

Bag limits are uniform at 3 per angler across the 2 regulating jurisdictions.

Confirmed by 2,077 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with British Columbia, California, and Alaska the top jurisdictions by observation count.

Notable details

• Males and females look completely different: males have vivid blue spots, females have golden-brown spots.
• Males aggressively guard egg clutches after females deposit them on rocky substrate.
• Can reach 21 inches (53 cm) and weigh up to 3.4 pounds (1.5 kg).
• Found along rocky reefs and kelp beds from Alaska to southern California.
• Prized by Pacific Northwest anglers for its mild, sweet-flavored white flesh.

Where Kelp Greenling are seen

• British Columbia1,154 iNat obs
• California393 iNat obs
• Alaska329 iNat obs
• Washington111 iNat obs
• Oregon90 iNat obs

Jurisdictions with rules for Kelp Greenling

• British ColumbiaCanada · official source
• Federal Waters (DFO)Canada · official source
• WashingtonUnited States · official source

Background

Hexagrammos decagrammus, the kelp greenling, is a species of greenling that occurs in rocky nearshore areas of the northern Pacific especially around British Columbia and Alaska, and is common on kelp beds and on sand bottoms. They feed on crustaceans, polychaete worms, brittle stars, mollusks, and small fishes. The young are food for large predators such as lingcod and halibut.

Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Kelp Greenling article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.

Other bony fish on CatchRules

• BluegillLepomis macrochirus
• European CarpCyprinus carpio
• Green SunfishLepomis cyanellus
• GoldfishCarassius auratus