shortbelly rockfish
Sebastes jordani
Small rockfish that forms large schools in the open North Pacific. It is an important prey of fish and marine mammals and is not sold commercially because of its size.
Also called: garoupa-barriga-curta, rocote pancita, rocote jordán, shortbelly rockfish
- maximum
- 32 cm
- depth
- 0–350 m
who is the shortbelly rockfish
Rockfish of the family Sebastidae, genus Sebastes, slender and elongated, which forms schools far from the coast, sometimes away from the bottom. It grows to 32 cm. Juveniles are pelagic. It feeds on plankton animals, mainly krill. It is viviparous, with planktonic larvae. It is a very important prey of predatory fish and marine mammals. It lives from 0 to 350 m deep, in subtropical waters. It is considered a sport fish, but is not sold commercially because of its small size.
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 shortbelly rockfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Individuals 31 years old have been recorded.
identification
Small rockfish, slender and elongated, with the anal opening halfway between the base of the pelvic fins and the anal fin. The caudal fin margin is deeply notched, and the back is greenish pink, paling on the belly. Compare it with the greenstriped rockfish, which has horizontal green stripes, and with the silvergray rockfish, which is silvery grey, has a projecting lower jaw and reaches 71 cm.
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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 Vancouver Island, Canada, to northern Baja California, Mexico. In Latin America, it occurs only in Mexico.
Habitat: Open sea, in schools far from the coast and sometimes away from the bottom, 0 to 350 m.
rules for the shortbelly 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. It has spines on its fins and, as it lives at depth, it can suffer barotrauma if reeled up 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 jordani (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 jordaniNames by country and language.
