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Sebastes melanops  Girard, 1856

Black rockfish
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Image of Sebastes melanops (Black rockfish)
Sebastes melanops
Picture by Lonhart, S.I.


United States (contiguous states) country information

Common names: Black bass, Black rockfish, Black rockfish
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: gamefish: yes;
Comments: Considered an important game fish in the Pacific coast of the USA (Ref. 27437). Also Ref. 4925, 6885, 11366, 95450.
National Checklist:
Country Information: httpss://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html
National Fisheries Authority: https://www.nmfs.gov
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Eschmeyer, W.N., E.S. Herald and H. Hammann, 1983
National Database:

Classification / Names

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Scorpaeniformes (Scorpionfishes and flatheads) > Sebastidae (Rockfishes, rockcods and thornyheads) > Sebastinae
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Common names from other countries

Main reference

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 63.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 27437); max. published weight: 4.8 kg (Ref. 2850); max. reported age: 50 years (Ref. 39247)

Length at first maturity
Lm 40.2, range 30 - 42 cm

Environment

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 366 m (Ref. 6885), usually 183 - 274 m (Ref. 6885)

Climate / Range

Temperate, preferred 10°C (Ref. 107945); 62°N - 22°N, 170°E - 110°W

Distribution

Eastern Pacific: Amchitka Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska to Paradise Cove, Baja California, Mexico.
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 13 - 14; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13-16; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 7 - 9; Vertebrae: 26. Head spines weak to very weak - nasals present, preocular and postocular spines usually absent, supraocular, tympanic, coronal, parietal and nuchal spines absent (Ref. 27437). Symphyseal knob very weak or absent (Ref. 27437). Eyes moderately large (Ref. 27437). Anal fin profile rounded or with greater portion slanted posteriorly (Ref. 27437). Posterior margin of caudal fin indented (Ref. 27437). Dark grey to black with light grey mottling dorsally, lighter ventrally (Ref. 27437). Branchiostegal rays: 7 (Ref. 36715).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Found near rocky reefs in shallow water and in open water over deep banks (Ref. 2850). Adults live both off and on bottom (Ref. 2850). Juveniles are pelagic (Ref. 36715). Form schools (Ref. 2850). Feed on fishes (Ref. 27302). Viviparous, with planktonic larvae (Ref. 36715). Young are important prey species for other fishes, marine mammals and birds. Excellent food fish (Ref. 27436).

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Threat to humans

  Harmless



Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums

More information

Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Recruitment
Abundance
References
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
Strains
Genetics
Allele frequencies
Heritability
Diseases
Processing
Mass conversion
Collaborators
Pictures
Stamps, Coins
Sounds
Ciguatera
Speed
Swim. type
Gill area
Otoliths
Brains
Vision

Tools

Special reports

Download XML

Internet sources

Estimates of some properties based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805)
PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278)
4.4   ±0.0 se; Based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 69278)
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (tm=7.5; K=0.14; tmax=50)

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)
High to very high vulnerability (66 of 100)
Price category (Ref. 80766)
Medium