Sebastes nebulosus Ayres, 1854

Common Name and Body Shape

Sebastes nebulosus, commonly called the China rockfish, has a compact body with a small mouth.

Head Morphology

It has a concave space between the eyes and robust spines on the head, with no spines located above the eyes.

Dorsal and Anal Fin Structure

The dorsal fin has deeply notched membranes between its long spines; it contains 13 spines and 13 or 14 soft rays, while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 6 to 8 soft rays.

Caudal Fin Shape

Its caudal fin is rounded.

Size and Weight

This species reaches a maximum total length of 45 cm (18 in) and a maximum published weight of 1.7 kg (3.7 lb).

Body Base Coloration

Its overall body color can be blue or black, marked with yellow mottling that is mixed with some white mottling.

Distinctive Marking

The main distinguishing feature of this species is a distinct yellow stripe that begins on the dorsal fin near the third dorsal spine, extends obliquely to the lateral line, then runs along the lateral line to form a shape resembling an ice hockey stick.

Fin Coloration

The pelvic, anal, and caudal fins are dark in color.

Geographic Range

The China rockfish occurs in the eastern Pacific Ocean along the western coast of North America, ranging from Kodiak Island in Alaska to Redondo Beach and San Nicholas Island in California.

Population Abundance

It is most abundant from central British Columbia south to central California.

Habitat and Depth Range

It lives in association with reefs, found at depths between 3 and 128 m (9.8 and 419.9 ft), and typically occurs in water less than 92 m (302 ft) deep.