Sebastes auriculatus
Brown Rockfish
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GNR
Collection Details
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Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Scorpaeniformes (Lionfish, Stonefish and others)
Scorpaenidae (Scorpionfishes)
Sebastes
Sebastes auriculatus (Brown Rockfish)
Description
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Characters
Body shape: fusiform / normal. Head spines strong - nasal, preocular, postocular, tympanic, coronal (may be absent), parietal, and nuchal (may be absent) spines present, supraoculars absent (Ref. 27437). Interorbital space flat to barely convex; symphyseal knob weak or absent (Ref. 27437). Caudal fin rounded (Ref. 6885). Light brown, mottled with one or two shades of darker brown, vague dark bars dorsally, dark brown blotch on upper part of gill cover; fins and underside of throat and lower jaw pinkish (Ref. 27437). Branchiostegal rays: 7 (Ref. 36715).
Distribution
Eastern Pacific: Prince William Sound, Alaska to central Baja California, Mexico.
Habitat Associations
Marine. demersal. depth range 0-128 m.
Biology
A sedentary rockfish found in shallow water and bays (Ref. 2850), among sheltering weed-covered rocks or around pilings (Ref. 27436). Viviparous, with planktonic larvae and pelagic juveniles (Ref. 36715). Fin spines are sharp and mildly venomous and can cause annoying wounds (Ref. 27436). Small live specimens make excellent bait for large lingcod (Ref. 27436). Flesh is firm and tasty, but rarely found in markets (Ref. 26346).
Max length: 56.0 cm TL; max age: 34 years.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: internal (oviduct); bearers (internal live bearers). Viviparous (Ref. 36715, 34817).
IUCN Red List Status: N.E. (N.E.). Resilience: Low (tmax=34; tm=5).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish; aquarium: public aquariums.
References
Eschmeyer, W.N., E.S. Herald and H. Hammann (1983) A field guide to Pacific coast fishes of North America. Boston (MA, USA): Houghton Mifflin Company. xii+336 p.
Hart, J.L. (1973) Pacific fishes of Canada. Bull. Fish. Res. Board Can. 180:740 p.
Kramer, D.E. and V.M. O'Connell (1995) Guide to Northeast Pacific rockfishes. Genera Sebastes and Sebastolobus. Alaska Sea Grant, Marine Advisory Bulletin No. 25.
Moser, H.G. (1996) Scorpaenidae: scorpionfishes and rockfishes. p. 733-795. In H.G. Moser (ed.) The early stages of fishes in the California Current Region. California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) Atlas No. 33. 1505 p.
Hobson, E.S. (2000) Interannual variation in predation on first-year Sebastes spp. by three northern California predators. Fish. Bull. 99(2):292-302.
Comments On Sebastes auriculatus