Prickleback
Stichaeidae
Kosher
Has fins and scales
Fins
Yes
Scales
Yes
Description
The monkeyface prickleback, the eel-named member behind several of these aliases, is the one sought for its edible white flesh and shows up on menus in Northern California and Oregon.
Pricklebacks are coastal fish of the North Pacific, North Atlantic, and Arctic oceans, with most species in the North Pacific. They shelter under rocks and in algae from the intertidal zone into shallow bays, and a few range past 250 m on the outer shelf.
Also known as
- Monkeyface Eel
- Monkeyface Prickleback
- Prickleback Eel
- Shanny
Kosher Prickleback in foreign languages
| Scientific | Stichaeidae |
| Arabic | شائكة الظهر |
| German | Stachelrücken |
| Russian | Стихеевые |
| Chinese | 线鳚科 |
| Korean | 장갱이과 |
Warnings & Kosher Issues
- Most pricklebacks (family Stichaeidae) have fins and small overlapping scales, so they are kosher.
- Watch the eel-named members. The monkeyface prickleback (Cebidichthys violaceus), sold as monkeyface eel, has tough scaleless skin, so it is not kosher even though it has fins.
- Despite the eel nickname and the long body, the monkeyface prickleback is not a true eel.