speckled rockfish
Sebastes ovalis
Rockfish of rocky bottoms of southern California and northern Baja California, Mexico. It lives between 30 and 366 m and is considered a sport fish.
Also called: garoupa-manchada, rocote manchado, speckled rockfish
- maximum
- 56 cm
- record/max.
- 0.9 kg
- depth
- 75–150 m
who is the speckled rockfish
Rockfish of the family Sebastidae, genus Sebastes, common on deep rocky areas of southern California, United States. It grows to 56 cm and up to 950 g. It lives between 30 and 366 m, and the most common band is 75 to 150 m. It is viviparous, with planktonic larvae. It is considered a sport fish and also appears in commercial fishing. Its range runs from San Francisco, California, to northern 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 speckled rockfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Individuals 37 years old have been recorded.
identification
Rockfish of rocky bottoms, whose common name refers to spots scattered over the body. Adults stay on deep rocks, most common especially between 75 and 150 m. Like other rockfishes of the genus, it has strong spines on the head and fins. To tell it apart from the green rockfish, which lives on soft bottoms, the clue is the bottom: the spotted one lives on rock.
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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 northern Baja California, Mexico. North of Santa Barbara it is rare. In Latin America, it occurs only in Mexico.
Habitat: Deep rocky bottom, 30 to 366 m, most common between 75 and 150 m.
rules for the speckled 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 strong 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 ovalis (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 ovalisNames by country and language.
