starry rockfish
Sebastes constellatus
Rockfish of deep rocky reefs in the North Pacific, from San Francisco to southern Baja California. It is sometimes caught by sport anglers.
Also called: garoupa-constelada, rocote estrellado, starry rockfish
- maximum
- 46 cm
- record/max.
- 1.0 kg
- depth
- 60–149 m
who is the starry rockfish
Rockfish of the family Sebastidae, genus Sebastes, living on rocky reefs, between 15 and 274 m, most common between 60 and 149 m. It grows to 46 cm and up to 1 kg. Adults stay on deep reefs and eat shrimp and fish. It is viviparous, with planktonic larvae and pelagic juveniles. It is sometimes caught by sport anglers. Its range runs from San Francisco, California, to southern Baja California, Mexico.
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 starry rockfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Individuals 32 years old have been recorded.
identification
Rockfish with a fusiform body, like others of the genus, with spines on the head and fins, a common family trait. It lives on deep reefs, usually between 60 and 149 m. Compare it with the blue rockfish, which is blue or black and forms schools near shallower reefs.
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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 San Francisco, California, United States, to southern Baja California, Mexico. In Latin America, it occurs only in Mexico.
Habitat: Rocky reefs, 15 to 274 m, most common between 60 and 149 m.
rules for the starry 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. 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 = 0.01, 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 constellatus (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 constellatusNames by country and language.
