Quillback Rockfish
TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order: Scorpaeniformes (Scorpionfishes and flatheads)
Family: Sebastidae (Rockfishes, rockcods and thornyheads)
Genus/species: Sebastes maliger
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Generally the first part of the body is orangist and the rear is darker. The Quillback Rockfish is brown, with yellow to orange ventral mottling and often have freckles on their head. The dorsal fin spines have deeply incised membranes and are very long. All fins are dark brown to black except for the first dorsal fin, which has a yellow streak.
Length up to 61 cm (24 in)
DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Gulf of Alaska to Anacapa Passage in southern California. Bottom dwellers perching on rocks or hiding in rock crevices in subtidal waters to depths of 274 m (900 ft).
DIET IN THE WILD: Herring, demersal, pelagic crustaceans, crabs, amphipods, euphasiids, and copepods.
REPRODUCTION: Viviparous as in other Sebastes sp.
LONGEVITY: Live to 95 years.
PREDATORS: Larger fish such as sharks.
CONSERVATION: IUCN Not Evaluated
REMARKS: Most are taken by hook and line and are sold at premium prices. Off British Columbia they are kept alive and sent to the Asian markets of Vancouver.
References
Ron’s Wordpress Shortlink wp.me/p1DZ4b-Eu
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. p. 142-143
California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium California Rocky Coast 2017
Probably More Than You Want To Know About The Fishes Of The Pacific Coast, Milton Love 1996 Really Big Press ppg. 170-171
fishbase www.fishbase.org/summary/Sebastes-maliger.html
eol Encyclopedia of Life eol.org/pages/211614/details
Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/bottomfish/identification/rockfish/s_...
Ron’s flickr www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/sets/72157608359804936/...
1-15-09 7-25-14 2017
Quillback Rockfish
TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order: Scorpaeniformes (Scorpionfishes and flatheads)
Family: Sebastidae (Rockfishes, rockcods and thornyheads)
Genus/species: Sebastes maliger
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Generally the first part of the body is orangist and the rear is darker. The Quillback Rockfish is brown, with yellow to orange ventral mottling and often have freckles on their head. The dorsal fin spines have deeply incised membranes and are very long. All fins are dark brown to black except for the first dorsal fin, which has a yellow streak.
Length up to 61 cm (24 in)
DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Gulf of Alaska to Anacapa Passage in southern California. Bottom dwellers perching on rocks or hiding in rock crevices in subtidal waters to depths of 274 m (900 ft).
DIET IN THE WILD: Herring, demersal, pelagic crustaceans, crabs, amphipods, euphasiids, and copepods.
REPRODUCTION: Viviparous as in other Sebastes sp.
LONGEVITY: Live to 95 years.
PREDATORS: Larger fish such as sharks.
CONSERVATION: IUCN Not Evaluated
REMARKS: Most are taken by hook and line and are sold at premium prices. Off British Columbia they are kept alive and sent to the Asian markets of Vancouver.
References
Ron’s Wordpress Shortlink wp.me/p1DZ4b-Eu
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. p. 142-143
California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium California Rocky Coast 2017
Probably More Than You Want To Know About The Fishes Of The Pacific Coast, Milton Love 1996 Really Big Press ppg. 170-171
fishbase www.fishbase.org/summary/Sebastes-maliger.html
eol Encyclopedia of Life eol.org/pages/211614/details
Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/bottomfish/identification/rockfish/s_...
Ron’s flickr www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/sets/72157608359804936/...
1-15-09 7-25-14 2017