silvergray rockfish
Sebastes brevispinis
Silvery-grey rockfish of the North Pacific, which in Mexico occurs only in Baja California. It is rarely caught on rod and reel, but is sold as fillets together with other rockfishes.
Also called: garoupa-prateada, silvergray rockfish
- maximum
- 71 cm
- record/max.
- 4.7 kg
- depth
- 0–375 m
who is the silvergray rockfish
Rockfish of the family Sebastidae, genus Sebastes, living just above the bottom of the North Pacific, 0 to 375 m deep. It grows to 71 cm and up to 4.7 kg. It sometimes shelters in caves and rock crevices. It is ovoviviparous. It is rarely caught by sport anglers, but its flesh is sold as fillets, mixed with other rockfishes, and has very good taste and texture. It has a fusiform body and spines on the fins, traits of the group.
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 silvergray rockfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Individuals 82 years old have been recorded.
identification
Grey-green to silvery rockfish, with a pale underside tinged with orange or pink, and dark lips. The lower jaw is long, projects beyond the upper jaw and has a bump on the chin. The mouth reaches back behind the eye, and the caudal fin is notched. Compare it with the shortbelly rockfish, which is smaller and greenish pink, and with the greenstriped rockfish, which has horizontal green stripes on the body.
Loading the next 7 days…
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 northeast Pacific, from the Alaskan coast in the Bering Sea to Baja California, Mexico. In Latin America, it occurs only in Mexico.
Habitat: Just above the bottom, in rocky areas with caves and crevices, 0 to 375 m.
rules for the silvergray 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 spines on the fins. As it lives at depth, it suffers barotrauma if reeled up quickly; release it carefully.
in the kitchen
It has very good flavour and texture, and is sold as fillets.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01047, b = 3.05; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). 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 brevispinis (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 brevispinisNames by country and language.
