Numerous studies have shown the importance of gill raker variation in trophic ecology. The North Pacific fish family Embiotocidae (surfperches) show remarkable dietary diversity despite being composed of only 23 species. The family includes feeding specialists and generalists, substrate feeders and open water feeders, and species that feed on immobile hard-shelled prey and species that feed on highly mobile prey. Much attention has been given to their oral jaws and their well-developed pharyngeal jaws, but little attention has been given to variation in their gill rakers. In this study, we compare gill raker morphology, number, and length across the full phylogenetic and ecological range of this family. The phylogeny of surf perches is well understood, allowing us to map the evolution of gill raker variation and draw associations between gill raker variation, historical constraint, and ecological shifts. For example, within each of the subfamilies, planktivory is associated with more gill rakers related to substrate feeding. Given their ecological range, well-described phylogeny, and tractable species number, surfperches are a model system for investigating the evolution of gill rakers in perciform fishes.