Sebastes mystinus (Jordan & Gilbert, 1881)

Body Morphology

Blue rockfish (Sebastes mystinus) have a relatively smooth, oval-shaped body compared to other species in the Sebastes genus, with very few spines on their head.

Coloration

Their color ranges from bluish black to gray, with darker mottled patterns, including a pair of stripes that angle down and backward from each eye.

Mouth Characteristics

They have small terminal mouths for rockfish.

Maximum Size

Their maximum length reaches 55 to 60 cm, and maximum weight reaches 3.8 kg.

Geographical Range

Blue rockfish are distributed from northern Baja California to central Oregon.

Range Clarification

Earlier records of this species being found further north are incorrect, as those individuals were actually deacon rockfish (S. diaconus), which was confirmed as a separate species through genetic analysis in 2009 and formal scientific description in 2015.

Depth Habitat

Although blue rockfish have been caught at depths of over 500 meters, most individuals live in habitats from near the surface down to 90 meters.

Feeding Adaptation

Blue rockfish are adapted to diurnal hunting of small, transparent plankton.

Juvenile Diet

Juvenile blue rockfish eat tiny crustaceans like copepods and barnacle larvae, and in some cases their feeding has a significant effect on these prey populations.

Adult Diet

Adult blue rockfish switch to feeding on larger prey, including free-swimming tunicates, jellyfish, gastropods, squids, young rockfish, and drifting plant fragments.