mexican rockfish
Sebastes macdonaldi
Bottom-dwelling rockfish of the Pacific, from California to southern Baja California and the Gulf of California. It is an important sport fish and is sold whole or as fillets.
Also called: garoupa-mexicana, rocote mexicano, mexican rockfish
- maximum
- 66 cm
- record/max.
- 2.7 kg
- depth
- 91–350 m
who is the mexican rockfish
Rockfish of the family Sebastidae, genus Sebastes, living on the bottom between 91 and 350 m, from California to the Gulf of California. It grows to 66 cm and up to 2.7 kg. Juveniles, up to 6 cm, are pelagic and live in midwater, while adults stay on the bottom. The species is viviparous, with planktonic larvae. It is sold whole or as fillets and is an important sport fish.
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 mexican rockfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Rockfish of the genus Sebastes, with spines on the head and fins, a common family trait. Adults live on the bottom, between 91 and 350 m, and juveniles, up to 6 cm, stay in midwater. Compare it with the greenstriped rockfish, which has three or four horizontal green stripes on the body, and with the rosy rockfish, which is pink.
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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 California, United States, to southern Baja California and the Gulf of California, Mexico. In Latin America, it occurs only in Mexico.
Habitat: Bottom, 91 to 350 m deep.
rules for the mexican 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.
in the kitchen
It is sold whole or as fillets.
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 macdonaldi (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 macdonaldiNames by country and language.
