flag rockfish
Sebastes rubrivinctus
Rockfish of rocky areas of the North Pacific, which in Mexico occurs only in Baja California. It is considered a sport fish and appears in public aquariums.
Also called: garoupa-bandeira, rocote bandera, flag rockfish
- maximum
- 51 cm
- record/max.
- 1.5 kg
- depth
- 0–302 m
who is the flag rockfish
Rockfish of the family Sebastidae, genus Sebastes, living in rocky areas of the North Pacific, from 0 to 302 m deep. It grows to 51 cm and up to 1.5 kg. The water it lives in is between 5 °C and 10 °C. Adults feed on fish and crustaceans, and the species is viviparous. It is considered a sport fish and appears in public aquariums. Its range runs from San Francisco, California, to Cape San Quintín, Baja California.
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 flag rockfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Individuals 18 years old have been recorded.
identification
Rockfish of rocky areas, with spines on the head and fins, a family trait. It lives from 0 to 302 m, in waters of 5 to 10 °C. Compare it with the yelloweye rockfish, which has a bright yellow eye and reaches 104 cm, and with the vermilion rockfish, which is dark red with greyish marbled sides and reaches 91 cm. The flag rockfish reaches 51 cm.
Loading the next 7 days…
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 San Francisco, California, United States, to Cape San Quintín, Baja California, Mexico. In Latin America, it occurs only in Mexico.
Habitat: Rocky areas, 0 to 302 m deep.
rules for the flag 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 strong spines. As it lives at depth, it suffers barotrauma if reeled up quickly; release it carefully.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01122, b = 3.02; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). 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 rubrivinctus (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 rubrivinctusNames by country and language.
