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Photo of a Canary Rockfish

Species profile

Canary Rockfish

Sebastes pinniger

Bony fish365 iNat observations

At a glance

Canary Rockfish (Sebastes pinniger) is a bony-fish species regulated in 4 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.

The strictest bag limit is 1 (Alaska); the most generous is 5 (Washington).

Confirmed by 205 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with California, British Columbia, and Alaska the top jurisdictions by observation count.

Notable details

  • Named for their vivid orange-yellow coloration resembling a canary's plumage.
  • Can live over 75 years — one of the longest-lived rockfish on the Pacific Coast.
  • Adults typically reach 60–75 cm (24–30 inches) in length.
  • Range spans from Alaska to Baja California, typically at depths of 80–300 meters.
  • Females give birth to live larvae, releasing large broods during winter and spring spawning.

Background

The canary rockfish (Sebastes pinniger) is a rockfish of the northeast Pacific Ocean, found from south of Shelikof Strait in the eastern Gulf of Alaska to Punta Colnett in northern Baja California.

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

Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.