Black-and-yellow rockfish
(Sebastes chrysomelas)

Sebastes chrysomelas, commonly known as the black-and-yellow rockfish, is a marine fish species of the family Sebastidae. It is found in rocky areas in the Pacific off California and Baja California. Although it is similar in appearance to the China rockfish, the black-and-yellow rockfish lacks the long yellow streak. The China rockfish has a continuous yellow band while the black-and-yellow rockfish only has scattered patches of yellow across its body.

The body is mainly black or brown and consists of yellow to orange spots on its back with a pale underbelly. The body is typically squat and compact, and covered with spines. Around the eyes, there are faint dark stripes and its lower lip is a dark grey color. The yellow spots on the back are the main distinguishing factor between Sebastes chrysomelas and other species of rockfish. Its head consists of 5 pairs of large spines. Their anal fins have 3 spines and 6-7 soft rays, and the pectoral fins have 17-18 rays with a flesh-like appearance. The anal and dorsal fins are mildly venomous which tend to cause a painful wound.

The average size of the fish is up to 40 cm.