gopher rockfish
Sebastes carnatus
Small rockfish of shallow rocks in the North Pacific, living in holes and crevices. In Mexico, it occurs only in Baja California. It is a sport fish.
Also called: garoupa-amarela, rocote amarillo, gopher rockfish
- maximum
- 39 cm
- depth
- 15–55 m
who is the gopher rockfish
Rockfish of the family Sebastidae, genus Sebastes, living in holes and crevices of rocks along the coast, between 9 and 55 m, most common between 15 and 55 m. It grows to 39 cm. It is solitary and territorial. It is viviparous, with planktonic larvae. It lives from northern California to central Baja California, and is considered a sport fish. It has a fusiform body and spines on the head and fins, traits common to the group.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the gopher rockfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Individuals 30 years old have been recorded.
identification
Small rockfish, with a fusiform body and spines on the head and fins, a common trait of the family. It hides in holes and crevices of rocks, and is solitary and territorial. It grows to 39 cm, while the brown rockfish and the olive rockfish reach 56 cm, so it is smaller than both. All three live on shallow rocks near the coast.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Lives in the eastern Pacific, from Eureka, northern California, United States, to central Baja California, Mexico. In Latin America, it occurs only in Mexico.
Habitat: Holes and crevices of coastal rocks, 9 to 55 m deep.
rules for the gopher rockfish
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
It is not venomous, but it has spines on the head and fins. Hold it with a cloth when removing the hook.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01, b = 3.09; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa pelo gênero e formato do corpo)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Sebastes carnatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Sebastes carnatusNames by country and language.
