Family Trichodontidae

Sandfishes

Selected Characters: Body deep; mouth almost vertical, with fringed lips; five spines on preopercle; scales absent.

This is a very small family of the northern Pacific. There are only two species, with one occurring in Puget Sound. The Pacific Sandfish grows to 30 cm long and lives on muddy or sandy bottoms, often partially buried in sediment with its mouth exposed. It lays eggs in a gelatinous mass attached to a rock. Invertebrates make up the diet of the Pacific Sandfish, which is in turn consumed by predatory fishes and sometimes seals. It is not commercially important in our region. This species is uncommon in much of Puget Sound but is numerous near the San Juan Islands.

Puget Sound Species

Trichodon trichodon Pacific Sandfish