spotted kelpfish
Gibbonsia elegans (Cooper, 1864)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Gibbonsia elegans, the spotted kelpfish (called sargacero or sargacero manchado in Mexico), is a species of clinid native to subtropical waters of the Pacific Ocean from central California, U.S. to southern Baja California, Mexico. It prefers subtidal rocky habitats with seaweed down to a depth of about 56 metres (184 ft). This species can reach a maximum length of 16 centimetres (6.3 in). This species feeds on benthic crustaceans (amphipods, isopods, crabs), gastropods, and polychaete worms. The genus Gibbonsia is named after William P. Gibbons who was a naturalist in the California Academy of Science. The spotted kelpfish occurs in three different color morphs (red, green, and brown), depending on which plants occur in an individual's habitat. Males and females do not show sexual dimorphism.
Wikipedia contributors, Gibbonsia elegans; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T06:01:43.129543+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Gibbonsia elegans (Cooper, 1864)
- Name authority
- (Cooper, 1864)
- Common name
- spotted kelpfish
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Blenniiformes
- Family
- Clinidae
- Genus
- Gibbonsia
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderBlenniiformes
- familyClinidae Swainson, 1839
- genusGibbonsia Cooper, 1864
- speciesGibbonsia elegans (Cooper, 1864)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Gibbonsia. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| crevice kelpfishGibbonsia montereyensis Hubbs, 1927 | ClinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| striped kelpfishGibbonsia metzi Hubbs, 1927 | ClinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Myxodes elegans Cooper, 1864 Cooper, 1864 | synonym |
| Clinus evides Jordan & Gilbert, 1883 Jordan & Gilbert, 1883 | synonym |
| Gibbonsia evides (Jordan & Gilbert, 1883) (Jordan & Gilbert, 1883) | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=280833 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3FZF5. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.