Are cabezon a single, genetically homogenous population or are they composed of multiple, genetically distinct populations?
New results of a California Sea Grant and California Department of Fish & Game study strongly suggest that West Coast cabezon are composed of at least eight genetically distinct populations. Six of these are in California in the areas around Fort Bragg, Half Moon Bay, Morro Bay, Santa Barbara/Ventura, the Channel Islands and San Diego. One population was identified in southern Oregon near Coos Bay and one in Puget Sound in Washington.