Though many fish species live in the challenging environment of the marine intertidal few attempt to hold their station. Crushing waves and continuously changing water levels are just some of the challenges that intertidal animals have to face. This suction clad little fish is the Northern clingfish, Gobiesox maeandricus. whose home is the Northwest Pacific, makes its living in this hostile environment. This little fish uses a ventral suction disc to stick to rough substrates in the intertidal zone so well that it can prey upon on anything stuck to nearby rocks like mollusk or limpets.
Living along rocky shores from Alaska to Baja California, Northern Clingfish often lie low in tide pools, hiding under rocks. A clingfish's suction cup does double duty. When the tide goes out, a clingfish's pool might be left high and dry. But the cup holds in moisture, so the fish can still breathe. Tucked safely beneath its rock, the clingfish waits until the tide rolls back in again.
In the Pacific Northwest very few species are the target of predators that live on land, but in the Puget Sound, Gopher Snakes commonly hunt in the tide pools and seek out these little fish.
Finding and photographing these little fish can be very difficult, keep a sharp eye out in the shallows and tide pool, with a little work and patience you will find them. Once found find your best angles and create some great images.
Thanks for reading.
Scott
For more stories and images - http://www.scottstevensonphotography.ca/
