Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area - Fish

A variety of native and introduced fish occur in the waters of the Santa Monica Mountains. Of significance are at least two spawning populations of the endangered steelhead trout (Onchorynchus mykiss) and one spawning population of Pacific lamprey (Lampetra tridentata), as well as several locations where California grunion (Leuesthes tenuis ) spawn.

Besides the reintroduced tidewater goby, and resident steelhead, native fish in Malibu Lagoon include killifish (Fundulus parvipinnis ), arrow goby (Clevelandia ios ), staghorn sculpin (Leptocottus armatus), long-jawed mudsucker (Gillichthys mirabilis), opaleye (Girella nigricans), topsmelt (Atherinops affinis), diamond turbot (Hypsopsetta guttulata), northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax), California halibut (Paralichthys californicus), Pacific lamprey (Lampetra tridentata), queenfish (Seriphus politus), bay pipefish (Syngnathus leptohynchus), starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus), kelpfish (Gibbonsia monterivensis), and serranid (Paralabrax sp) (Manion 1993; Manion and Dillingham 1989). Arroyo chub occur in the slow moving waters of Malibu Creek. A variety of introduced fish, such as largemouth bass, bluegill and goldfish occur in freshwater streams up and downstream from recreational lakes and golf course such as Malibou Lake and the Malibu Country Club.