squarespot rockfish
Sebastes hopkinsi
Small rockfish of shallow reefs of the Pacific, reaching 29 cm. It is rare north of Monterey Bay, California.
Also called: garoupa-de-manchas-quadradas, rocote a cuadros, squarespot rockfish
- maximum
- 29 cm
- depth
- 18–183 m
who is the squarespot rockfish
Rockfish of the family Sebastidae, genus Sebastes. It grows to 29 cm and lives on shallow reefs, 18 to 183 m deep. Its range runs from the Farallon Islands, off San Francisco, California, to central Baja California, Mexico, and it also reaches Guadalupe Island. It is rare north of Monterey Bay. The species is viviparous, that is, the young develop inside the mother's body. It enters commercial 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 squarespot rockfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Small shallow-reef rockfish, with square spots, as the common name indicates. It lives on reefs, 18 to 183 m deep, which sets it apart from soft-bottom species. Compare it with the calico rockfish, also small, but of soft bottoms.
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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 Farallon Islands, California, to central Baja California, Mexico. In Latin America, it occurs only in Mexico.
Habitat: Shallow reefs, 18 to 183 m.
rules for the squarespot 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.
Shallow-reef fish. When hooked, remove the hook carefully and release the fish 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 hopkinsi (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 hopkinsiNames by country and language.
