fish · The Trophy Room
Kelp Greenling
An underrated bycatch that turns out to be one of the best-eating fish on the reef. Kelp greenling haunt the kelp and rocky bottom where you're jigging for lingcod, and the males and females look so different they were once thought to be two species. White, flaky, sweet fillets — a genuine sleeper.
Identifying
- males: grey-brown with bright blue spots ringed in rust on the head and forebody
- females: golden-brown covered in small reddish-orange spots
- five pairs of lateral lines (the "decagrammus" — ten lines); small mouth
- a fleshy cirrus (little flap) above each eye
Facts
- one of the surprises of Salish Sea bottom fishing — often better on the plate than what you were targeting
- the sexes are so distinct that early naturalists catalogued them separately
- stick to the kelp and rock — hook them on small jigs and bait meant for other reef fish
