Sebastes pinniger (Gill, 1864)
Canary rockfish
photo by JJPhoto

Family:  Sebastidae (Rockfishes, rockcods and thornyheads), subfamily: Sebastinae
Max. size:  76 cm FL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 4,530.0 g; max. reported age: 84 years
Environment:  demersal; marine; depth range 0 - 838 m
Distribution:  Eastern Pacific: south of the Shelikof Strait in the Gulf of Alaska to Cape Colnett, Baja California, Mexico.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 13-13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14-15; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 7-7. Head spines strong to moderate - nasal, preocular, supraocular, postocular, tympanic and parietal spines present, coronal and nuchal spines absent (Ref. 27437). Scales on lower jaw embedded; anal fin with a strong anterior slant (Ref. 27437). Caudal fin strongly indented (Ref. 6885). Bright yellow to orange mottled on a gray background; 3 orange stripes across head; fins orange; specimens less than 35.56 cm with dark markings on posterior part of spinous dorsal; gray along lateral line (Ref. 27437).
Biology:  Adults hover in loose groups above rocky bottoms (Ref. 27436). Pelagic juveniles are found in shallower water (Ref. 27436). Feed on small fishes and krill (Ref. 2850). Viviparous, with planktonic larvae (Ref. 36715). Validated age by radiometry is 44 yrs (Ref. 49687). Flesh is of good quality (Ref. 27436). Sold as fillets (Ref. 27436).
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  venomous


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