Opaleye
Aquarium Inhabitant Bio
Girella nigricans
Description
A common reef-dwelling fish with, you guessed it, an opal colored eye. Opaleye have a uniform olive colored body with a set of white spots on either dorsal side. One 7” opaleye present in this exhibit.
Habitat and distribution
Found in tide pools and in shallow reefs and kelp beds, as well as bays and estuaries. Ranges from central California to southern Baja.
Diet
Opaleye are primarily herbivorous, although they will readily eat small invertebrates such as molluscs and crustaceans when available
Fun Fact
Opaleye can “breathe air” when brought out of the water, likely an adaptation to the harsh intertidal environment in which it resides.
