image credit: michele_sharik
image credit: marlin harms
image credit: northislandexplorer.com
image credit: marlin harms
image credit: neil.fisher
image credit: uga.edu
image credit: waterbody.tumblr.comStatus: No conservation concerns
So I have a new obsession: Northern Clingfish (Gobiesox maeandricus). I never even knew these things existed, let alone so close to where I live! They can be found along rocky shores from Alaska to Baja California, hanging out in tide pools suctioned to rocks.
Just like the Lumpsucker and Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker, clingfish use their modified pelvic fins to hang on to rocks and pieces of kelp through thick and thin [currents]. Oh, and the clingfish’s suction cup also does double duty. When the tide goes out, a clingfish’s pool might be left high and dry. But the cup keeps in moisture, allowing the fish to still breathe. That way the clingfish can just wait it out until the tide returns.
