Canary Rockfish

Sebastes pinniger

Canary Rockfish

Sebastes pinniger

Other Common Names
Canaries, canary rockcod

Orford Reef

Other Common Names

Canaries, canary rockcod

At the Aquarium

Orford Reef

Appearance

Canary rockfish are bright yellowish orange with mottling above and gray underneath. They have three orange stripes across the head, and orange fins. Their tail fin is forked and their lateral line is white.

Smaller individuals (less than 14 inches) often have a black spot near the back of the first dorsal fin.

Canary rockfish grow up to 30 inches and can weigh over 7 pounds.

Habitat

Juveniles stay in shallow waters while adults move deeper and mainly live in rocky habitats at depths of 59 to 2,749 feet.

Diet

Juveniles eat copepods, amphipods, and krill, while adults eat small crustaceans, invertebrates and fish.

Life History

Like other rockfish, canary rockfish are primitively viviparous. Fertilization of eggs and embryo development occur internally. The mother then gives birth to live larval fish. Female canary rockfish can have 260,000 to 1.9 million eggs, which is considerably more than many other rockfish species.

Larvae live in surface waters and may be distributed over a wide area extending several hundred miles offshore. Larvae and small juveniles may remain in open waters for several months. They are dispersed by ocean currents. Juveniles settle in shallow waters near rocky reefs, kelp canopies, and artificial structures. Then as adults, canary rockfish move into deeper water with rocky bottoms and outcrops.

This species reaches maturity between 5 and 6 years of age. They spawn during the winter months.

Canary rockfish may live to be 75 years old.

IUCN Status

Not Evaluated

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Rockfish are prey for many different species, including other finfish, seabirds, and marine mammals.

Since at least the early 1880s, canary rockfish have been an important commercial species. There are fisheries for canary rockfish off San Francisco, California and Washington state. The population of the U.S. West Coast was declared overfished in 2000 and a recovery plan was implemented in 2001. The population was declared rebuilt in 2015. Canary rockfish as well as all rockfish are managed under the federal Groundfish Fishery Management Plan.

From the Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea to Baja California, Mexico.

Within their range, canary rockfish are most common off the coast of central Oregon. They can be found throughout the state’s marine waters.

The genus name Sebastes is Greek for “magnificent” and the species name pinniger is Latin for “large-finned.”

Citations & Other Resources

California Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2021. Canary Rockfish. Marine Species Portal. https://marinespecies.wildlife.ca.gov/canary-rockfish/false/
NOAA Fisheries. N.d. Canary Rockfish. Species Directory. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/canary-rockfish
Washing Department of Fish & Wildlife. N.d. Canary Rockfish. https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/species/sebastes-pinniger#desc-range

Canary Rockfish

Canary Rockfish

Other Common Names

At the Aquarium

Appearance

Habitat

Diet

Life History

IUCN Status

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Citations & Other Resources

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