They have a narrow blue stripe along the base of the anal fin and are silvery tinted with shades of orange to reddish brown, gray, green, or blackish. Pile surfperch are can be found from Alaska to central Baja. They inhabit rocky shores near kelp to a depth of 46m and are silver with dark markings. They have a dark bar at the dorsal fin base fading towards the belly. There are three other less pronounced characteristics - a dark spot below the eye, a deeply forked caudal fin and dark colored scales on the lower body sides.
Rubberlip surfperch have thick, whitish-pink lips.
They used their lips to clamp onto rocks and suction up small invertebrates. They can grow up to 18 inches long and can be found in kelp beds, around jetties and piers, and along the open coasts. Rubberlips sometimes school in groups of up to fifty fish. Blacksmith fish inhabit shallow reefs and rocky areas, they swim in open water and can be found in Southern and Central California, and South to Central Baja. Blacksmith fish can be found as deep as 150 feet.