aurora rockfish
Sebastes aurora
Deep-water rockfish of the Pacific, reddish-pink on the back, growing to 41 cm. It is caught by trawl and traps in commercial fishing.
Also called: garoupa-aurora, rocote aurora, aurora rockfish
- maximum
- 41 cm
- depth
- 366–550 m
who is the aurora rockfish
Rockfish of the family Sebastidae, genus Sebastes. It grows to 41 cm. It lives in deep water, mostly between 366 and 550 m, but there are records from 124 to 769 m, in open sea, over soft bottoms. Juveniles are pelagic. The species is viviparous, with planktonic larvae. When dragged by a net, the scales often come off and leave white marks with red outlines. It is caught by trawl and traps in commercial fishing.
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 aurora rockfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Individuals up to 75 years old have been reported.
identification
Rockfish with the back reddish-pink to pink and the sides and belly silvery. It has small lobes projecting from the front of the upper jaw and strong spines on the head. It lives in open sea, in very deep water, which sets it apart from reef and shallow-water rockfishes.
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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 northeast Pacific, from Vancouver Island, Canada, to Cedros Island, Baja California. In Latin America, it occurs only in Mexico.
Habitat: Soft bottoms of open sea, mostly between 366 and 550 m.
rules for the aurora 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.
Deep-water fish that suffers barotrauma if brought to the surface. If you release it, do so carefully and quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00389, b = 3.12; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). 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 aurora (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 auroraNames by country and language.
