El Niño Compendium
Blacksmith
Also calledblue perch, rock bass
Range status
Edge of rangeRarity this season
UncommonCommon in Southern California. The news is schools of young fish at Monterey, the northern edge of the range.
Primary biome
Secondary biomes
Sightings
2026 season, every one sourced
Central California
- Oct 24, 2026Ball Buster, Monterey BayA school of juveniles, "not typically seen here this young"Source: Diver post via Jarvis, Oct 25
- Oct 19, 2026Breakwater, MontereyJuvenilesSource: Diver post via Jarvis, Oct 19
- From Aug 13, 2026Central California22 recordsSource: iNaturalist, 22 research-grade Central California records (El Niño log sweep, Oct 27)
Photos
From California this season
No photos yet. If you photographed this animal in California this season, post it to the Coastal Bulletin.
Home Range
Where it normally lives
Monterey Bay south to central Baja California.
Range source: FishBase
Habitat
Rocky reef, drop-offs and steep banks, and kelp forest, from about 7 feet down to roughly 150 feet, with some records to 270 feet
Taxonomy
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Actinopterygii
Order
Blenniiformes
Family
Pomacentridae
Genus / Species
Chromis punctipinnis
Family, common name
Damselfishes
Rarity
Rarity this season
Uncommon
Reports this season
24
Conservation status
Least Concern (assessed 2009)
Rarity in the compendium is how often the animal has been reported on the California coast this season, not how rare it is where it normally lives. It moves as new sightings come in.
Full Species Profile
The blacksmith has a full Ichthyopedia entry with its natural history, seasonality and where to find it in a normal year.
Read the Blacksmith entry →