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Rock Gunnel

Pholis gunnellus

Drawing of a Rock Gunnel fish, eel like structureMax Size: 25 cm (9 in)

Habitat: Intertidal and subtidal zones in the North Atlantic, from Labrador to Delaware.

Diet: Small crustaceans, polychaetes, and mollusks.

 

Fun Facts:

  • Though it may look like an eel, the rock gunnel is in the same order as many other more “conventionally shaped” Hudson River fish such as striped bass.
  • Rock gunnels spawn in winter, with the parents guarding their egg masses near the bottom in the demersal zone – the area just above the bottom
  • In the Hudson, and further south, they are typically seen in colder months due to preferring the lower temperatures present in the majority of their Northerly range.