Robert N. Lea

Research Associate
Department of Ichthyology

e-mail:

Education:

B.S., University of Idaho, Zoology, 1963

M.A. University of California, Berkeley, Zoology, 1968.

Ph.D. University of Miami, Marine Sciences, 1980.

Employment and research positions:

Marine Biologist (various positions and mandates), California Department of Fish and Game, 1967-2004; retired October 2004.

Editor-in-Chief, California Fish and Game, 1986-1991.

Editor for Scientific Contributions, CalCOFI Reports, 2003, 2004, 2007.

Research Associate in Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, 1973-present.

Research Associate in Ichthyology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 1970-present.

Research Associate in the Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 1996-2001 & 2007

Research Affiliate, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 2005-present

American Fisheries Society-American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists - Committee on Names of Fishes, 1977-present.

Awards:

American Fisheries Society - California-Nevada Chapter, Award of Excellence, 1990.

American Fisheries Society - Western Division, Award of Merit, 1993.

American Fisheries Society, Distinguished Service Award, 2000.

American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists, Fellow, 1991.

American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists, Emeritus Fellow, 2004.

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Sanctuary Currents Award for Science/Research 2005.

Stevenson School, The Merle Greene Robertson Award for Service to Society, 9 June 2007

Professional Societies (selected):

American Association for Zoological Nomenclature

American Elasmobranch Society - Charter member

American Fisheries Society - Life member
Emeritus Fisheries Professional
Liaison to the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists

American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists - Emeritus Fellow

American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists

Central Coast Biological Society

Phi Sigma Society

Sigma Xi

Society for the Protection of Old Fishes

The Gilbert Ichthyological Society Council

Western Society of Naturalists

Scientific Publications (Selected):

Lea, R.N. l965. A Lahontan redside, Richardsonius egregius (Girard), lacking pelvic fins. California Fish and Game, 5l(4):300.

Lea, R.N. l972. Southern geographical records for four surfperches, family Embiotocidae, with notes on a population resurgence of the sharpnose seaperch. California Fish and Game, 58(l):27 3l.

Lea R.N., and J.E. Fitch. l972. Sebastes rufinanus, a new scorpaenid fish from California waters. Copeia, l972 (3):423-427.

Miller, D.J., and R.N. Lea. l972. Guide to the coastal marine fishes of California. California Department Fish and Game, Fish Bulletin, l57:1 235.

Lea, R.N. l973. First record of the smooth alligatorfish, Anoplagonus inermis (Family Agonidae), from California waters. California Fish and Game, 59(2):l42 l44.

Lea, R.N. l974. First record of Puget Sound sculpin, Artedius meanyi, from California. Journal Fisheries Research Board Canada, 31(7):1242 1243.

Robins, C.R. and R.N. Lea. l975. Proposed suppression of Rhiniodon Smith, 1828 (Pisces) in favor of Rhincodon Smith, l829, as the generic name of the whale shark. Bulletin Zoological Nomenclature, 32(3):l63 l67.

Miller, D.J., and R.N. Lea. l976. Guide to the coastal marine fishes of California, Fish Bulletin Number l57. University of California, Division of Ag. Sciences, 249 p. (revised edition).

Cailliet, G.M., and R.N. Lea. l977. Abundance of the "rare" zoarcid, Maynea californica Gilbert, 1915, in the Monterey Canyon, Monterey Bay, California. California Fish and Game, 63(4):253 26l.

Robins, C.R. and R.N. Lea. 1978. Fishes of the family Ophidiidae. IX. Analysis of geographic variation in Lepophidium microlepis with descriptions of two new subspecies. Bulletin Marine Science, 28(4):7l6 727.

Lea, R.N., and J.E. Fitch. l979. A new species of rockfish, genus Sebastes (Scorpaenidae), from the eastern North Pacific off Mexico and California. Contributions in Science, Natural History Museum Los Angeles County. 320:1 7.

Lea, R.N. 1980. Systematics and zoogeography of cusk eels of the family Ophidiidae, subfamily Ophidiinae, from the eastern Pacific Ocean. Dissertation Abstracts International, 41(4).

Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1980. A list of common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Spec. Publ. No. 12, 174 p.

Lea, R.N. and L.J. Dempster. 1982. Status and nomenclatural history of Agonus vulsus Jordan and Gilbert, l880 (Pisces - Family Agonidae). California Fish and Game, 68(4):249 252.

Lea, R.N. 1983. Sebastodes atrorubens Gilbert, l898, a junior synonym of Sebastes atrovirens (Jordan and Gilbert, l880), with notes on individual variation in the species. Bulletin Southern California Academy of Sciences, 82(3):147 149.

Lea, R.N., T. Keating, G. Van Dykhuizen, P.B. Lehtonen. 1984. Records of goosefishes (Family: Lophiidae, genus Lophiodes) from Californian waters. California Fish and Game, 70(4):250 251.

Lea, R.N. and D.J. Miller. 1985. Shark attacks off the California and Oregon coasts: an update, 1980 84. Memoirs Southern California Academy of Sciences, 9:136 150.

Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1986. Names of the Atlantic redfishes, genus Sebastes. Fisheries, 11(1):28 29.

Lea, R.N. and L.F. Quirollo. 1986. First record of Hemitripterus bolini, the bigmouth sculpin, from Californian waters. California Fish and Game, 72(2):117 119.

Yoshiyama, R.M., C. Sassaman, and R.N. Lea. 1986. Rocky intertidal fish communities of California: temporal and spatial variation. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 17(1):23 40.

Lea, R.N. and R.H. Rosenblatt. 1987. Occurrence of the family Notacanthidae (Pisces) from marine waters of California. California Fish and Game, 73(1):51 53.

Yoshiyama, R.M., C. Sassaman, and R.N. Lea. 1987. Species composition of rocky intertidal and subtidal fish assemblages in central and northern California, British Columbia southeast Alaska. Bulletin Southern California Academy of Sciences, 86(3):136 144.

Lea, R.N., C.C. Swift, and R.J. Lavenberg. 1988. Records of Mugil curema Valenciennes, the white mullet, from southern California. Bull. So. Calif. Academy of Sciences, 87(1):31 34.

Lea, R.N. and W.E. Eschmeyer. 1988. Scorpaenichthys marmoratus Girard, 1854 (Pisces, Osteichthyes, Scorpaeniformes): proposed conservation of the specific name and confirmation of authorship. Bulletin Zoological Nomenclature, 45(2):132 134.

Lea, R.N. 1988. Family Himantolophidae added to the ichthyofauna of the temperate eastern North Pacific. California Fish and Game, 74(3):180 182.

Lea, R.N., J.M. Duffy, and K.E. Wilson. 1989. The Cortez angelfish, Pomacanthus zonipectus, recorded from southern California. California Fish and Game, 75(1):45 47.

Lea, R.N., Konstantin A. Karpov, and Lawrence F. Quirollo. 1989. Record of the roughscale sole, Clidoderma asperrimum, from northern California with a note on the Pacific lined sole, Achirus mazatlanus. California Fish and Game, 75(4):239 241.

Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and Scientific Names of Fishes from the United States and Canada. 5th edition. American Fisheries Society, Spec. Publ. No. 20, 183 p.

Lea, R.N. and L. Fukuhara. 1991. The gulf coney, Epinephelus acanthistius, from the marine waters of southern California. Bull. So. Calif. Acad. Sci., 90(2):80-82.

Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. World Fishes Important to North Americans Exclusive of Species from the Continental Waters of the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Spec. Publ. No. 21, 243 p.

Lea, R.N. 1992. Rockfishes: Overview. p. 114 to 117 (incl. Table). In W. S. Leet, C. M Dewees, and C. W. Haugen [ed.] California’s Living Marine Resources and Their Utilization. California Sea Grant, Sea Grant Extension Publ. UCSGEP-92-12.

Lea, R.N. and R.H. Rosenblatt. 1992 [1993]. The Cortez grunt (Haemulon flaviguttatum) recorded from two embayments in southern California. Calif. Fish and Game, 78(4):163-165.

Lea, R.N. and F. McAlary. 1994. Occurrence of the swallow damselfish, Azurina hirundo, from islands off southern California. Bull. So. Calif. Acad. Sci., 93(1):42-44.

Lea, R.N. 1995. Ophidiidae, p. 1342-1348. In F. Krupp, W. Schneider, C. Sommer, K.E. Carpenter, and V.H. Niem. Guía FAO para la identificación de especies para los fines de la pesca. Pacifico centro-oriental. Vol. 3. Vertebrados - Parte 2. FAO, Rome. (Vol. 3: 1201-1813).

Lea, R.N. and H.J. Walker, Jr. 1995 [1996]. Record of the bigeye trevally, Caranx sexfasciatus, and Mexican lookdown, Selene brevoorti, with notes on other carangids from California. Calif. Fish and Game, 81(3):89-95.

McCosker, J.E. and R.N. Lea. 1996. White Shark Attacks in the Eastern Pacific Ocean: An Update and Analysis. Chapter 39, p. 419-434. In A. P. Klimley and D. G. Ainley [ed.] Great white sharks: The Biology of Carcharodon carcharias. Academic Press, Inc. San Diego.

Lea, R.N. 1997 A new and unique ophidiine cusk-eel from the Panamic region of the eastern North Pacific. Bulletin of Marine Science, 60(3):960-965.

Love, M.S. and R.N. Lea. 1997. Range extension of the quillback rockfish, Sebastes maliger, to the Southern California Bight. Calif. Fish and Game, 83(2):78-83.

Nelson, J.S., E.J. Crossman, H. Espinosa-Pérez, C.R. Gilbert, R.N. Lea, and J.D. Williams. 1998. Recommended changes in common fish names: Pikeminnow to replace squawfish (Ptychocheilus spp.), Fisheries. 23(9):37.

Lea, R.N. and P. Béarez. 1999. Occurrence of Chilara taylori (Ophidiidae), an eastern North Pacific cusk-eel from Ecuadorian waters. Cybium. 23(1): 99-100.

Lea, R.N., R.D. McAllister, and D.A. VenTresca. 1999. Biological Aspects of the Genus Sebastes with Notes on Ecologically Related Sportfishes Off Central California. California Department of Fish and Game, Fish Bull. 177. 109p.

Yoklavich, M.M., H. G. Greene, G. M. Cailliet, D. E. Sullivan, R.N. Lea, and M.S. Love. 2000. Habitat associations of deep-water rockfishes in a submarine canyon: an example of a natural refuge. Fishery Bulletin 98(3):625-641.

Lea, R.N. and R.H. Rosenblatt. 2000. Observations on fishes associated with the 1997-98 El Niño off California. CalCOFI Reports, vol. 41:117-129.

Gilbert, C.R., Nelson, J.S., E.J. Crossman, H. Espinosa-Perez, L.T. Findley, R.N. Lea, and J.D. Williams. 2000. Holacanthus ciliaris bermudensis Goode, 1876 (currently Holacanthus bermudensis; Osteichthys, Perciformes): proposed conservation of usage of the subspecific specific name by the designation of a neotype. Case 3163. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 57(4):218-222.

Lea, R.N., E.D. Erikson, K.Boyle, and R. Given. 2001. Occurrence of the loosetooth parrotfish, Nicholsina denticulata (Scaridae), from Santa Catalina Island, California. Bull. So. Calif. Academy of Science. 100(3):167-169.

Nelson, J.S., E.J. Crossman, H. Espinosa-Perez, L.T. Findley, C.R. Gilbert, R.N. Lea, and J.D. Williams. 2002. When is a catfish not a catfish - U.S. legislation over a name. Fisheries. 27(2):38-40.

Huang, D., R.N. Lea, and J. Wolf. 2003. Occurrence of the bluefin killifish, Lucania goodei, in the San Dieguito River, southern California. Bull. So. Calif. Academy of Science. 102(1):46-49.

Yoklavich, M., G. Cailliet, R.N. Lea, H. Gary Greene, R. Starr, J. Demarignac, and J. Field. 2003. Deepwater habitat and fish resources associated with the Big Creek Marine Ecological Reserve. CalCOFI Reports. Vol. 43:120-140.

Nelson, J.S., E.J. Crossman, H. Espinosa-Perez, L.T. Findley, C.R. Gilbert, R.N. Lea, and J.D. Williams. 2003. The “Names of Fishes” list, including recommended changes in fish names: Chinook salmon for chinook salmon, and Sander to replace Stizostedion for the sauger and walleye. Fisheries. July 2003.

Lea, R.N. and C.R. Robins. 2003. Four new species of the genus Ophidion (Pisces: Ophidiidae) from the western Atlantic. Scientific Papers, Natural History Museum the University of Kansas. No. 31:1-9.

Nelson, J.S., E.J. Crossman, H. Espinosa-Perez, L.T. Findley, C.R. Gilbert, R.N. Lea, and J.D. Williams. 2004. Common and Scientific Names of Fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Sixth edition. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication No. 29, 386 pp.

Hsieh, C-h, C. Reiss, W. Watson, M. J. Allen, J. R. Hunter, R. N. Lea, R. H. Rosenblatt, P. E. Smith, G. Sugihara. 2005. A comparison of long-term trends and variability in populations of larvae of exploited and unexploited fishes in the Southern California region: A community approach. Progress in Oceanography. 67:160-185.

Lea, R. N. and D. V. Richards. 2005. The scythe butterflyfish, Prognathodes falcifer (Pisces: Chaetodontidae), observed as a facultative cleaner. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences. 104(3):152-153.

Nelson, J. S., H. Espinosa-Pérez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak and J. D. Williams. 2006. Corrections to Common and Scientific Names of Fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Sixth Edition. Fisheries 31(3):138-140.

Horn, M. H., L. G. Allen, and R. N. Lea. 2006. Chapter 1. Biogeography. In Ecology of California Marine Fishes.

Craig, M. T., D. J. Pondella, II, and R. N. Lea. 2006. New records of the flag cabrilla, Epinephelus labriformis (Serranidae: Epinephelinae), from the Pacific coast of Baja California, Mexico, and San Diego, California, USA, with notes on the distribution of other groupers in California. California Fish and Game. 92(2):91-97.

Nelson, J. S., H. Espinosa-Pérez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak and J. D. Williams. 2006. On the proposed reinstatement of the specific name of Sphyraena acus (Case 3297; see BZN 62(4):232-236). Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature.

McCosker, J. E. and R. N. Lea. 2006. White shark attacks upon humans in California and Oregon. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Fourth Series, Vol. 57, No. 17:479-501.

Nelson, J. S., H. Espinosa-Pérez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak and J. D. Williams. 2006. Corrections to Common and Scientific Names of Fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Copeia. 2006(3):559-562.

Feeney, R. F, R. N. Lea, S. Dyer, and S. Gietler. 2007. First record of the wolf-eel, (Anarrhichthys ocellatus (Pisces: Anarhichadidae), from Baja California, Mexico. California Fish and Game 93(1):52-55.

Roberts, D., R. N. Lea, K. L. M. Martin. 2007. First record of the occurrence of the California grunion, Leuresthes tenuis, in Tomales Bay, California: a northern extension of the species. California Fish and Game 93(2):107-110.