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SWFSC » Fishes » Rockfishes

(24 objects, created 7/29/2009)

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Album: This is a private album that is not visible to anonymous users Rockfishes

Summary: Rockfishes (genus Sebastes) are a highly diverse group of ecologically, commercially, and recreationally important groundfishes along the U.S. West Coast. Many rockfish species inhabit deep, rocky areas of the seafloor, which poses challenges to surveying them. SWFSC researchers study rockfish and their habitat using a variety of methods including remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), manned submersibles, trawl surveys, side-scan sonar, laser line scan (LLS), and genetic analysis.

The photographs seen here are taken from ROVs and manned submersibles by the FRD Benthic Resources Team and the FED Habitat Ecology Team.

Date:

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Aurora rockfish, Sebastes aurora An aurora rockfish resting on the rocky seafloor. Contact: SWFSC Fisheries Resources Division, Benthic Resources Group Species data: Aurora rockfish (Sebastes aurora) are white with pale pink to red saddles and blotches on their backs when underwater, changing to a more solid pink or red after capture. While little is known of their life history, individuals have been found that were age 75 years or older. It appears that both sexes mature around 5 years old. Auroras are a deepwater slope species (81-768 m) found over both hard and soft seafloor bottoms between British Columbia and central Baja California. They are moderately important in commercial fisheries from Washington to central California. Maximum size: 41 cm (16 inches). From: The Rockfishes of the Northeast Pacific, by M.S. Love, M. Yoklavich, and L. Thorsteinson. University of California Press, 2002.

Aurora rockfish, Sebastes aurora

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Aurora rockfish by vertebrae An aurora rockfish uses marine mammal vertebrae as a shelter in Monterey Bay. Taken from the Delta submersible during the 2008 IMPACT cruise to determine baseline fish abundances inside and outside new marine protected areas off central California. Date: October 2008 Contact: SWFSC Fisheries Ecology Division, Habitat Ecology Team Species data: Aurora rockfish (Sebastes aurora) are white with pale pink to red saddles and blotches on their backs when underwater, changing to a more solid pink or red after capture. While little is known of their life history, individuals have been found that were age 75 years or older. It appears that both sexes mature around 5 years old. Auroras are a deepwater slope species (81-768 m) found over both hard and soft seafloor bottoms between British Columbia and central Baja California. They are moderately important in commercial fisheries from Washington to central California. Maximum size: 41 cm (16 inches). From: The Rockfishes of the Northeast Pacific, by M.S. Love, M. Yoklavich, and L. Thorsteinson. University of California Press, 2002.

Aurora rockfish by vertebrae

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Bank rockfish, Sebastes rufus A bank rockfish resting on the rocky seafloor. Contact: SWFSC Fisheries Resources Division, Benthic Resources Team Species data: Bank rockfish (Sebastes rufus) are oval-shaped fish with small head spines. They can be brown, black-brown, pinkish brown, or nearly white, and are often covered with black spots. The pectoral, anal, and soft dorsal fin membranes are black, and many individuals have white saddle marks running down the back. A reliable character is the pink-orange or orange stripe along the lateral line, and there is a noticeable "<" mark behind the eye. Banks are found from British Columbia to central Baja California, and live in depths between 31 and 454 meters. They are taken commercially with trawl and gillnet, with most of the catch from California. Banks are a frequent catch of recreational anglers in deepwater off southern California. Alternate common name: Red widow, bank perch, Florida. Maximum size: 55.2 cm (21.7 inches). Maximum age: At least 85 years. From: The Rockfishes of the Northeast Pacific, by M.S. Love, M. Yoklavich, and L. Thorsteinson. University of California Press, 2002.

Bank rockfish, Sebastes rufus

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Bank rockfish on sponge A bank rockfish sits atop a vase sponge in Soquel Canyon, Monterey Bay. Taken from the Delta submersible during the 2008 IMPACT cruise to determine baseline fish abundances inside and outside new marine protected areas off central California. Date: October 2008 Contact: SWFSC Fisheries Ecology Division, Habitat Ecology Team Species data: Bank rockfish (Sebastes rufus) are oval-shaped fish with small head spines. They can be brown, black-brown, pinkish brown, or nearly white, and are often covered with black spots. The pectoral, anal, and soft dorsal fin membranes are black, and many individuals have white saddle marks running down the back. A reliable character is the pink-orange or orange stripe along the lateral line, and there is a noticeable "<" mark behind the eye. Banks are found from British Columbia to central Baja California, and live in depths between 31 and 454 meters. They are taken commercially with trawl and gillnet, with most of the catch from California. Banks are a frequent catch of recreational anglers in deepwater off southern California. Alternate common name: Red widow, bank perch, Florida. Maximum size: 55.2 cm (21.7 inches). Maximum age: At least 85 years. From: The Rockfishes of the Northeast Pacific, by M.S. Love, M. Yoklavich, and L. Thorsteinson. University of California Press, 2002.

Bank rockfish on sponge

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Blue rockfish, Sebastes mystinus A blue rockfish uncharacteristically resting on the rocky seafloor. Contact: SWFSC Fisheries Resources Division, Benthic Resources Team Species data: Blue rockfish (Sebastes mystinus) are oval and have almost no head spines. Older juveniles and adults are blue-black or gray-blue and heavily mottled with dark gray or black. Two dark stripes run down and back from the eye. They resemble both black rockfish and dark dusky rockfish. Blues range from southeast Alaska to northern Baja California, with most occurring from near the surface to depths of about 90 meters. They are a significant component of the live-fish fishery in California, and have long been a major target of recreational fishermen from northern Oregon to southern California. Alternate common name: Blue bass. Maximum size: 53 cm (21 inches). Maximum age: At least 44 years. From: The Rockfishes of the Northeast Pacific, by M.S. Love, M. Yoklavich, and L. Thorsteinson. University of California Press, 2002.

Blue rockfish, Sebastes mystinus

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Bocaccio, Sebastes paucispinis A bocaccio cruising above the rocky seafloor. Contact: SWFSC Fisheries Resources Division, Benthic Resources Team Species data: Bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis) are long, laterally compressed fish with large mouths. The lower jaw extends well beyond the upper and has a prominent knob on the end. Color and markings vary with age and among individuals, with adults generally being pink, pink-brown, gray, or red. Bocaccio have been found from the Alaska Peninsula to central Baja California. Juveniles are found in shallow water, and adults have been recorded from 12 to 478 meters. Historically, bocaccio have been important in both commercial and recreational fisheries along much of the Pacific coast. There was a severe population decline in the 1980s and 1990s, but numbers are now increasing again. Alternate common name: Grouper, salmon grouper. Maximum size: 91 cm (36 inches), about 6.8 kg (15 pounds). Maximum age: Unknown, but possibly 50 years or more. From: The Rockfishes of the Northeast Pacific, by M.S. Love, M. Yoklavich, and L. Thorsteinson. University of California Press, 2002.

Bocaccio, Sebastes paucispinis

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Bronzespotted rockfish, Sebastes gilli A bronzespotted rockfish over rocky substrate and crinoids. Contact: SWFSC Fisheries Resources Division, Benthic Resources Team Species data: Bronzespotted rockfish (Sebastes gilli) are deep-bodied and spiny fishes, with sharply upturned mouths. They are red, orange, or yellow-orange with dark spotting, blotching, or loose vermiculations on the back and sides. The backs and sides may be splotched with white. Three similarly colored lines radiate from the eyes, two backward and one downward. Bronzespotteds range from central California to northern Baja California at depths of 75 to 413 meters. They form a minor part of the southern California commercial fishery and are taken primarily by gillnet and hook and line. Recreational fishermen catch a few bronzespotted rockfish in deepwater, usually over 200 meters. Alternate common name: Arkansas red, warthog. Maximum size: 71.2 cm (27.8 inches). Maximum age: At least 47 years. From: The Rockfishes of the Northeast Pacific, by M.S. Love, M. Yoklavich, and L. Thorsteinson. University of California Press, 2002.

Bronzespotted rockfish, Sebastes gilli

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Brown rockfish, Sebastes auriculatus A brown rockfish over rocky substrate. Contact: SWFSC Fisheries Resources Division, Benthic Resources Team Species data: The brown rockfish (Sebastes auriculatus) is a heavy-bodied species colored various shades of brown with dark brown, red-brown, or blackish mottling. There is a prominent dark blotch on the rear part of the gill cover, and red-brown, brown, or orangish stripes radiate back from the eyes and upper jaw. Browns range from the Gulf of Alaska to southern Baja California, and occur from very shallow inshore water to 135 meters. They are of moderate importance to the fresh fish commercial industry, and of considerable significance in the commercial live-fish fishery. In the recreational fishery, it is of particular importance in Puget Sound and from Bodega Bay to northern Baja California. Alternate common name: Bolina, chocolate bass. Maximum size: 56 cm (22.4 inches). Maximum age: At least 34 years. From: The Rockfishes of the Northeast Pacific, by M.S. Love, M. Yoklavich, and L. Thorsteinson. University of California Press, 2002.

Brown rockfish, Sebastes auriculatus

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Chameleon rockfish, Sebastes phillipsi Several chameleon rockfish over deep, rocky substrate and sea urchins. Contact: SWFSC Fisheries Resources Division, Benthic Resources Team Species data: Chameleon rockfish (Sebastes phillipsi) exhibit a distinctive color change upon capture, going from whitish pink when first brought to the surface to golden crimson upon death and exposure to air. Distinctive characters are prominent knobs on the upper jaw, several large, forward-pointing spines above the upper jaw, and 2-4 spines under the eye. Chameleons have been found from northern California to southern California at depths between 174 and 274 meters. They are occasionally taken in the gillnet and hook-and-line commercial fishery, and recreational fishermen catch a few in deeper water. Alternate common name: Orange rockfish. Maximum size: 52 cm (20.3 inches). Maximum age: Oldest known specimen estimated to be about 53 years old. From: The Rockfishes of the Northeast Pacific, by M.S. Love, M. Yoklavich, and L. Thorsteinson. University of California Press, 2002.

Chameleon rockfish, Sebastes phillipsi

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Chilipepper, Sebastes goodei A solitary chilipepper over deep, rocky substrate. Contact: SWFSC Fisheries Resources Division, Benthic Resources Team Species data: Chilipepper (Sebastes goodei) are elongate fish with reduced head spines. Adults are brown or pink-red on the back and pink on the sides. Adult chilis might be confused with bocaccio when underwater, but bocaccio have much larger mouths. Chilis range from British Columbia to southern Baja California, with older juveniles and adults most common at depths from about 75 to 325 meters. They form a sizable part of both the recreational and commercial fisheries of California, primarily south of Cape Mendocino. Commercial fishermen catch chilis with trawls, gillnets, and hook and line. Alternate common name: Chili, johnnies, johnny cod, red snapper. Maximum size: 59 cm (23 inches). Maximum age: 35 years. From: The Rockfishes of the Northeast Pacific, by M.S. Love, M. Yoklavich, and L. Thorsteinson. University of California Press, 2002.

Chilipepper, Sebastes goodei

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Copper rockfish, Sebastes caurinus A solitary copper rockfish over rocky substrate. Contact: SWFSC Fisheries Resources Division, Benthic Resources Team Species data: Copper rockfish (Sebastes caurinus) are relatively deep bodied and spiny. Older juveniles and adults exhibit a wide range of blotchy colors, although the light-colored strip along the rear two-thirds of the lateral line is constant. Several copper orange, brown, or yellowish bars radiate back from the eyes. Coppers range from the northern Gulf of Alaska to central Baja California, found from barely subtidal waters to 183 meters. They have been an important commercial species from southeast Alaska to San Diego, and form a major part of the shallow-water recreational rockfish catch from the Gulf of Alaska to central California. Alternate common names: Whitebelly, chucklehead. Maximum size: 66 cm (26.4 inches). Maximum age: At least 50 years. From: The Rockfishes of the Northeast Pacific, by M.S. Love, M. Yoklavich, and L. Thorsteinson. University of California Press, 2002.

Copper rockfish, Sebastes caurinus

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Cowcod, Sebastes levis A cowcod over high-relief rocky substrate and crinoids. Contact: SWFSC Fisheries Resources Division, Benthic Resources Team Species data: The cowcod (Sebastes levis) is easily distinguished from most other species, with a large head, relatively small eyes, and deeply incised dorsal fin. Juveniles are white or cream-colored, with intense dark vertical bars. These bars become more diffuse and indistinct with age, although even very large individuals retain remnant bars. Adult cowcod are cream, white, pink, dark yellow, golden, or salmon hued. Cowcod range from Oregon to central Baja California at depths of 40-491 meters, with adults most abundant in water deeper than 150 meters. They were an important commercial species in the past, but both commercial and recreational catches declined markedly in the 1990s. A cowcod conservation area was designated in January 2001 off southern California. This is one of the largest marine protected areas along the West Coast, prohibiting the take of most groundfish species. Maximum size: 94 cm (37 inches), 13 kg (28.5 pounds). Maximum age: At least 55 years. From: The Rockfishes of the Northeast Pacific, by M.S. Love, M. Yoklavich, and L. Thorsteinson. University of California Press, 2002.

Cowcod, Sebastes levis

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