Teleostei (teleosts) >
Perciformes/Scorpaenoidei (Scorpionfishes) >
Sebastidae (Rockfishes, rockcods and thornyheads) > Sebastinae
Etymology: Sebastes: Greek, sebastes = august, venerable (Ref. 45335); ruberrimus: From the Latin ruberrimus, meaning 'very red' (Ref. 27436).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 15 - 549 m (Ref. 27437). Subtropical; ? - 28°C (Ref. 131084); 60°N - 28°N, 170°W - 115°W
Eastern Pacific: Gulf of Alaska to northern Baja California, Mexico.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 40.0, range 36 - ? cm
Max length : 104 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 40637); max. published weight: 17.8 kg (Ref. 40637); max. reported age: 118 years (Ref. 39247)
Dorsal spines (total): 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13 - 16; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 5 - 8. Head spines very strong to strong - nasal, preocular, supraocular, postocular, tympanic and parietal spines present, coronal and nuchal spines usually present (Ref. 27437). Raspy ridges on older fish (Ref. 27437). Caudal fin rounded (Ref. 6885). Orange red to orange yellow in color; eye bright yellow; fins may have black tips; adults usually with light to white stripe on lateral line; juveniles with 2 light stripes, one on lateral line and a shorter one below lateral line (Ref. 27437).
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.
Adults occur in rocky reefs and boulder fields (Ref. 27437), the young found in shallower regions (Ref. 27436). Adults feed on fishes and crustaceans (Ref. 28499). Viviparous (Ref. 34817). Sold as fillets (Ref. 6885).
Eschmeyer, W.N., E.S. Herald and H. Hammann, 1983. A field guide to Pacific coast fishes of North America. Boston (MA, USA): Houghton Mifflin Company. xii+336 p. (Ref. 2850)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums
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