blackgill rockfish
Sebastes melanostomus
Deep-water, soft-bottom rockfish of the Pacific, dark red in colour, reaching 70 cm. It is caught mainly as incidental catch.
Also called: garoupa-de-guelra-preta, rocote agalla negra, blackgill rockfish
- maximum
- 70 cm
- record/max.
- 3.5 kg
- depth
- 124–769 m
who is the blackgill rockfish
Rockfish of the family Sebastidae, genus Sebastes. It grows to 70 cm and up to 3.5 kg. It lives on soft bottoms in deep water, 124 to 769 m, while juveniles stay in shallower areas and are pelagic. The head has strong spines. The species is viviparous, with planktonic larvae. It appears as incidental catch and also enters sport 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 blackgill rockfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Individuals up to 90 years old have been recorded.
identification
Dark red body, with the skin above the upper jaw, the inside of the mouth and the back edge of the gill cover black. It has strong spines on the head. Unlike the black rockfish, which is dark grey to black with pale spots, this one has those dark parts contrasting with the red.
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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 the state of Washington, United States, to central Baja California, Mexico. In Latin America, it occurs only in Mexico.
Habitat: Soft bottoms of deep water, 124 to 769 m.
rules for the blackgill 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 strong spines on the head: handle it with care. A bottom fish, it suffers barotrauma when brought up from great depth, so release it quickly.
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 melanostomus (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 melanostomusNames by country and language.
