Sebastes paucispinis
Bocaccio
NS
G4
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Scorpaeniformes (Lionfish, Stonefish and others)
Scorpaenidae (Scorpionfishes)
Sebastes
Sebastes paucispinis (Bocaccio)
Description
This species account was compiled from
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Characters
Body shape: fusiform / normal. A large rockfish with weak head spines - nasal and parietal spines usually absent, preocular, supraocular, postocular, tympanic, coronal and nuchal spines absent (Ref. 27437). Lower jaw long, thickened, with no real symphyseal knob and projects past upper jaw; maxillary extends to behind the eye; parietal ridges parallel (Ref. 27437). Caudal slightly indented (Ref. 6885). Olive orange to burnt orange or brown in color (Ref. 27437). Branchiostegal rays: 7 (Ref. 36715).
Distribution
Eastern Pacific: Stepovak Bay, Alaskan Peninsula to Punta Blanca, Baja California, Mexico.
Habitat Associations
Marine. reef-associated. depth range 0-476 m.
Biology
Adults found over rocky reefs, but also common on open bottoms to about 320 m (Ref. 2850). Juveniles are pelagic and settle in near shore nursery areas, then move to deeper habitats (Ref. 36715). Young form schools (Ref. 2850). Feed mainly on fishes, including other rockfishes (Ref. 2850). Ovoviviparous, with planktonic larvae (Ref. 36715, 6885, 34817). Validated age by radiometry is 37 yrs (Ref. 75794). A famous sport fish throughout its range (Ref. 2850). Flesh is of excellent quality when kept chilled (Ref. 27436). Sold with other rockfish species (Ref. 27436).
Max length: 91.0 cm TL; max weight: 9630 g; max age: 50 years.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: internal (oviduct); bearers (internal live bearers). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 6885, 37177).
IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered (CR), assessed 1996-08-01. Resilience: Low (tm=4; tmax=50; Musick et al. 2000 (Ref. 36717)).
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.
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.
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.
Comments On Sebastes paucispinis