Kelp Rockfish – Sebastes atrovirens. The kelp rockfish is also known as dumb bass and rocot (Mexico).
Identifying Characteristics and Biology
- Spiny head, with large pectoral fins.
- Pink-brown coloring, olive-gray to olive-brown, with darker mottling on back. Most common colors are light tan or brown.
- The kelp rockfish is distinguished from brown rockfish by its lack of a dark spot on the gill cover; may be distinguished from the grass rockfish by observing the gill rakers, which are long and slender.
- Kelp rockfish grow to about 16 inches, and can live to 25 years.
Range and Habitat
- These fish range from Mendocino County to Central Baja California.
- They are found in kelp beds and rocky environments, from the surface to 140 feet deep, with most being in the 35 feet range.
- Kelp rockfish are night feeders, and feed on other small fish, crustaceans, and shrimp.
Market Forms
- Not a commercially caught fish, but they are widely caught by sport fishermen and divers of kelp beds.
- When looking for them, try using live bait, clams, mussels, and squid for bait.
Source:
California Finfish and Shellfish Identification Book: A Companion Guide to the California Fishing Passport. Sacramento, CA: California Dept. of Fish and Game, 2006. Print.
Love, Milton. Probably More Than You Want to Know About the Fishes of the Pacific Coast. Santa Barbara: Really Big Press, 1996. Print.
To purchase this image, visit FishStockPhoto.com – kelp rockfish.