bocaccio rockfish
Sebastes paucispinis
Large rockfish, famous as a sport fish in the North Pacific and critically endangered worldwide. In Mexico, it occurs only in Baja California.
Also called: garoupa-boca-grande, rocote bocaccio, bocaccio rockfish
- maximum
- 91 cm
- record/max.
- 9.6 kg
- depth
- 0–476 m
who is the bocaccio rockfish
Rockfish of the family Sebastidae, genus Sebastes, which lives over rocky reefs and also on open bottoms, down to 320 m. It occurs from 0 to 476 m deep. It grows to 91 cm and up to 9.6 kg. Juveniles are pelagic and go to nursery areas near the coast, then move to deeper waters and form schools. It feeds mainly on fish, including other rockfishes. It is ovoviviparous, with planktonic larvae. It is a sport fish famous throughout its range.
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 bocaccio rockfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Individuals 50 years old have been recorded.
identification
Large rockfish, olive-orange to burnt orange or brown. The lower jaw is long and thick, without a chin projection, and extends beyond the upper jaw. The mouth reaches back behind the eye, and the head ridges are parallel. Compare it with the canary rockfish, which has three orange bands on the head, and with the widow rockfish, which is brownish gold and forms schools in midwater.
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 Stepovak Bay on the Alaska Peninsula to Punta Blanca, Baja California, Mexico. In Latin America, it occurs only in Mexico.
Habitat: Rocky reefs and open bottoms, 0 to 476 m; juveniles live in nursery areas near the coast.
rules for the bocaccio 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 has venomous spines, so hold it with a cloth and remove the hook carefully. The species is critically endangered worldwide: if you release it, do so carefully and quickly.
in the kitchen
The flesh is of excellent quality when kept well chilled, and it is sold together with other rockfishes.
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 paucispinis (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 paucispinisNames by country and language.
