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Illustration of Canary rockfish
fishing forecast

canary rockfish

Sebastes pinniger · full profile

location

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period

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the species

everything about the canary rockfish

how to recognize it

Yellow-orange to orange rockfish with a body mottled with grey. It has three orange bands crossing the head and orange fins. In specimens under 35.5 cm there are dark marks on the back of the spiny dorsal fin, and a grey band runs along the lateral line. The caudal fin is deeply notched. Compare it with the mottled rockfish, which has four or five white spots on the back, and with the bigmouth rockfish, which has a long jaw and olive-orange colour.

Also called: garoupa-canário, rocote canario, canary rockfish

We don't have tips on season, bait or technique for this species yet.

Where to look: Over rocky bottoms, in loose groups, usually between 90 and 270 m, with juveniles in shallower water.

Lives in the northeast Pacific, from the southern Shelikof Strait, in the Gulf of Alaska, to Cape Colnett, Baja California, Mexico. In Latin America, it occurs only in Mexico.

rules for the canary rockfish

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.

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

estimated weight

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how we calculate

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%.

more about the canary rockfish

Rockfish of the family Sebastidae, genus Sebastes, which lives in loose groups above rocky bottoms, usually between 90 and 270 m, but can go down to 838 m. It grows to 76 cm and up to 4.5 kg. Juveniles are pelagic and stay in shallower waters. It feeds on small fish and krill. It is viviparous, with planktonic larvae. The species is considered a sport fish. Its range runs from the southern Shelikof Strait, in the Gulf of Alaska, to Cape Colnett, Baja California.

Family: Sebastidae · predator

fun facts

  • Individuals 84 years old have been recorded.

in the kitchen

The flesh is of good quality and is sold as fillets.

similar species

sources and references (2)

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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Sebastes pinniger (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Sebastes pinnigerNames by country and language.