Grass rockfish
(Sebastes rastrelliger)
Image source: Raphael Forns (raphetnature) | inaturalist.org
General data
Sebastes rastrelliger, the grass rockfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the subfamily Sebastinae, the rockfishes, part of the family Scorpaenidae. It is native to the waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Sebastes rastrelliger has a body which has a depth of around one third of its standard length with a broad head which has a tapering snout. The dorsal fin has 13 spines and 12 to 14 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 6 soft rays. The caudal fin is broad and rounded and the caudal peduncle is wide.
The overall colour of this species is dark green fading to whitish on the ventral part of the body,
This species attains a maximum total length of 56 cm (22 in).
Sebastes ratrelliger is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean along the western coast of North America. It ranges from Cedros Island in Baja California north as far as Ucluelet on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, although they are most abundant from northern California south.
It is a demersal fish found at depths down to 46 m (151 ft) but are typically found in less than 15 m (49 ft). This is a shallow water species in which the juveniles and adults occur on hard structures, such as reefs, and among kelp beds where there are crevices they can use as shelters.
