Sebastes flavidus
Yellowtail Rockfish
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Scorpaeniformes (Lionfish, Stonefish and others)
Scorpaenidae (Scorpionfishes)
Sebastes
Sebastes flavidus (Yellowtail Rockfish)
Description
This species account was compiled from
FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.)
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Characters
Body shape: fusiform / normal. Head spines weak - nasals present, preocular and parietal spines usually absent, supraocular, postocular, tympanic, coronal and nuchal spines absent (Ref. 27437). May have a prominent symphyseal knob; posterior edge of anal fin vertical (Ref. 27436). Caudal fin nearly truncate but slightly forked (Ref. 6885). Olive green to greenish brown with some light mottling dorsally, light ventrally; fins yellowish green, ventral fins often tinged in orange (Ref. 27436).
Distribution
Northeast Pacific: Unalaska Island, Alaska to San Diego, California, USA.
Habitat Associations
Marine. reef-associated. depth range 0-549 m.
Biology
Form schools in open water along steeply sloping shores or above rocky reefs; also holes up amid cracks and crevices of the sea floor (Ref. 27436). Juveniles found around floats and pilings (Ref. 27436). Feed on pelagic crustaceans, fishes and squids (Ref. 6885). Viviparous (Ref. 34817). Filleted, then sold fresh or frozen, with other rockfishes (Ref. 27436).
Max length: 66.0 cm TL; max weight: 2510 g; max age: 64 years.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: internal (oviduct); bearers (internal live bearers).
IUCN Red List Status: N.E. (N.E.). Resilience: Low (K=0.16; tm=6-7; tmax=64).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish; aquarium: public aquariums.
References
Clemens, W.A. and G.V. Wilby (1961) Fishes of the Pacific coast of Canada. 2nd ed. Fish. Res. Bd. Canada Bull. (68):443 p.
Eldridge, M.B., J.A. Whipple, M.J. Bowers, B.M. Jarvis and J. Gold (1991) Reproductive performance of yellowtail rockfish, Sebastes flavidus. Environ. Biol. Fishes 30(1-2):91-102.
Allen, M.J. and G.B. Smith (1988) Atlas and zoogeography of common fishes in the Bering Sea and northeastern Pacific. NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS 66, 151 p.
Hart, J.L. (1973) Pacific fishes of Canada. Bull. Fish. Res. Board Can. 180:740 p.
Rosenthal, R.J., V.M. O'Connell and M.C. Murphy (1988) Feeding ecology of ten species of rockfishes (Scorpaenidae) from the Gulf of Alaska. Calif. Fish Game 74(1):16-37.
Lamb, A. and P. Edgell (1986) Coastal fishes of the Pacific northwest. Madeira Park, (BC, Canada): Harbour Publishing Co. Ltd., 224 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.
Comments On Sebastes flavidus