Starry rockfish
| Starry rockfish | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Sebastidae |
| Genus: | Sebastes |
| Species: | S. constellatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Sebastes constellatus (D. S. Jordan & C. H. Gilbert, 1880) | |
The starry rockfish (Sebastes constellatus) is a type of rockfish (Sebastidae) that lives mainly off the coasts of California and Baja California. This fish are also commonly called spotted corsair, spotted rockfish, chinafish, and red rock cod.
Description
The body of the starry rockfish is elongate, robust, heavy forward tapering to the tail. The head is rather pointed in profile and the mouth is large with the lower jaw projecting only slightly beyond the upper jaw when the mouth is closed. The body is red orange and profusely covered with small white spots. There are four or five large whitish blotches along the back. It is a very distinctive fish that is not easily confused with any other rockfish.
Range
The starry rockfish occurs from Thetis Bank, Baja California, to San Francisco, California, and is found around rocky offshore reefs at depths of 80 to 900 feet.
Natural history
As with other kinds of rockfish, fertilization is internal and live young are born. The young are usually born during March through May.
Fishing information
Starry rockfish contribute to the recreational anglers offshore reef catch. The typical rockfish rig and baits are appropriate gear (see bocaccio).
References
- This article was copied from California Marine Sportfish by the California Department of Fish and Game, Marine Region; a public domain resource.