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fishing forecast

starry rockfish

Sebastes constellatus · Sebastidae · predator

Rockfish of deep rocky reefs in the North Pacific, from San Francisco to southern Baja California. It is sometimes caught by sport anglers.

Also called: garoupa-constelada, rocote estrellado, starry rockfish

Scientific illustration of Starry rockfish
maximum
46 cm
record/max.
1.0 kg
depth
60–149 m
location

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period

Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…

the species

everything about the starry rockfish

overview

who is the starry rockfish

Rockfish of the family Sebastidae, genus Sebastes, living on rocky reefs, between 15 and 274 m, most common between 60 and 149 m. It grows to 46 cm and up to 1 kg. Adults stay on deep reefs and eat shrimp and fish. It is viviparous, with planktonic larvae and pelagic juveniles. It is sometimes caught by sport anglers. Its range runs from San Francisco, California, to southern 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 starry rockfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.

fun facts

  • Individuals 32 years old have been recorded.
how to recognize it

identification

Rockfish with a fusiform body, like others of the genus, with spines on the head and fins, a common family trait. It lives on deep reefs, usually between 60 and 149 m. Compare it with the blue rockfish, which is blue or black and forms schools near shallower reefs.

distribution

where found

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Lives in the eastern Pacific, from San Francisco, California, United States, to southern Baja California, Mexico. In Latin America, it occurs only in Mexico.

Habitat: Rocky reefs, 15 to 274 m, most common between 60 and 149 m.

what the law says

rules for the starry 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. As it lives at depth, it suffers barotrauma if reeled up quickly; release it carefully.

calculator

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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Sebastes constellatus (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 constellatusNames by country and language.
don't confuse

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