Bocaccio Rockfish

At a glance

Bocaccio Rockfish (Sebastes paucispinis) is an IUCN Critically Endangered bony-fish species regulated in 3 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.

Confirmed by 264 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with California, British Columbia, and Alaska the top jurisdictions by observation count.

Listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act — verify protected-species rules with the issuing agency before retaining or handling.

Notable details

• One of the largest Pacific rockfish, capable of reaching 36 inches (91 cm) in length.
• Its name derives from the Italian word for 'big mouth,' reflecting its notably large jaw.
• A single large female can release over 1 million larvae in a single spawning season.
• Severely overfished during the late 20th century, bocaccio populations are now slowly recovering.
• Found from Alaska to Baja California, typically at depths of 50–475 meters.

Where Bocaccio Rockfish are seen

• California242 iNat obs
• British Columbia14 iNat obs
• Alaska4 iNat obs
• Oregon2 iNat obs
• Washington2 iNat obs

Jurisdictions with rules for Bocaccio Rockfish

• CaliforniaUnited States · official source
• WashingtonUnited States · official source

Protected status

• Bocaccio.

Always verify protected-species rules with the issuing agency before retaining or handling.

Background

The Bocaccio, Sebastes paucispinis, is a northeast Pacific species in the Sebastidae (rockfish) family. Other names for this species include salmon grouper, grouper, tom cod (juveniles), and slimy. In Greek, sebastes means “magnificent,” and paucispinis is Latin for “few spines”.

Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Bocaccio Rockfish article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.

Other bony fish on CatchRules

• BluegillLepomis macrochirus
• Atlantic Sergeant MajorAbudefduf saxatilis
• Black CrappiePomoxis nigromaculatus
• Atlantic Blue TangAcanthurus coeruleus