rosethorn rockfish
Sebastes helvomaculatus
Orange or yellow rockfish, with white spots on the back, living on soft bottoms of the North Pacific. It appears on commercial longlines below 108 m.
Also called: garoupa-mosqueada, rocote moteado, rosethorn rockfish
- maximum
- 41 cm
- depth
- 25–549 m
who is the rosethorn rockfish
Rockfish of the family Sebastidae, genus Sebastes, living on soft bottoms of the North Pacific, between 25 and 549 m. It grows to 41 cm. It is viviparous. It is often caught on commercial longlines below 108 m. South of San Francisco, California, it is rare. The species is considered a sport fish and has strong spines on the head, a common trait of the group. Its range runs from Kodiak Island, Alaska, to Guadalupe Island, Baja California.
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 rosethorn rockfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Individuals 87 years old have been recorded.
identification
Mottled rockfish, orange or yellow, with greenish mottling on the back and a paler lower part. On the back it has four or five square white spots with a pink or yellow edge. The head has strong spines and the caudal fin is shallowly notched. Compare it with the canary rockfish, which is bright yellow with three orange bands on the head, and with the yelloweye rockfish, which has a bright yellow eye and a pale band along the lateral line.
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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 Kodiak Island, Alaska, to Guadalupe Island, Baja California, Mexico. South of San Francisco, California, it is rare. In Latin America, it occurs only in Mexico.
Habitat: Soft bottom, 25 to 549 m deep.
rules for the rosethorn 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 on the head. 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 helvomaculatus (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 helvomaculatusNames by country and language.
