Overview

Key Features:

Adults have a large head and close-set, red-rimmed eyes.

Similar Species:

Kelp rockfish (Sebastes atrovirens)
Brown rockfish (Sebastes auriculatus)

Primary Common Name:

Grass rockfish

General Grouping:

Bony fishes

Geographic Range:

Southern Canada to central Baja California, Mexico

Vancouver Island, Canada to Bahia Playa Maria, Mexico. Usually from northern California to central Baja

Intertidal Height:

to feet ( to meters)

Subtidal Depth Range:

Minimum Depth: 0 meters or 0 feet
Maximum Depth: 46 meters or 150 feet

Habitats:

bay (rocky shore), exposed rocky shore, kelp forest, protected rocky shore

Notes:

Associate with rock reef, particularly cracks and crevices, and can occur in the very shallow subtidal, with high site fidelity.

Abundance:

Relative Abundance:

Uncommon, but if you see one chances are you will see the same individual repeatedly in the same area

Species Description:

General:

Young of the year (YOY) grass rockfish are very cryptic and difficult to see. They may recruit into tidepools and have been seen in the Monterey Harbor, just 1 m below the surface and hidden among the algae and invertebrates on the floating dock. The body color is generally dark, with dark brown mottling and blotches overtop a lighter base color, which is a faded yellow-green or dirty gold, or a very drab gray-green. Three white saddles are apparent under the dorsal fin.

Adult grass rockfish are thick and benthic. The head is quite large, reminiscent of a cabezon, and the red-rimmed eyes are close set and closer to the top of the head, which gives the impression of being cross-eyed. Often all you see is the head, but the body is a pale background covered with darker blotches that are either brown or drab green. The mouth also appears upturned, adding to the comical comparison to a squinty-eyed, thick-headed cartoon mobster thug. As noted in Butler et al. (2012), this is indeed the "Bubba" of nearshore rockfishes.

Distinctive Features:

YOY have a red-rimmed eye, which is striking. Adults have a large head and close set eyes.

Size:

To 56 cm<BR> Up to 2.9 kg

Natural History:

General:

Grass rockfish blend in to their surroundings well, and tend to be in shallow waters. They also appear to have high site fidelity, so once you find a crack or crevice occupied by an adult grass rockfish, chances are you can return to that same spot and see the same fish again. This is true at Point Lobos State Park, where several occur in the boulder rip-rap next to the boat launch, hunkering in about 2 m of water. YOY are rarely seen but are thick, mottled, and have a bright red-rimmed eye, which is very obvious.

Adults, which live up to 23 years, are in shallow water and are an important part of the live-fish fishery and for anglers that fish from shore and use poke poles. These fish are solitary and easily spooked by divers when out in the open, but when in a crack or crevice, they may look at you with their beady eyes and upturned mouth, almost daring you to get closer. Kind of a "Myah, whatcha you lookin at? " kind of attitude, if you will.

Predator(s):

In the 20th century the most significant predator has been humans.

Prey:

YOY feed on small crustaceans and adults target both crustaceans and small fish.

Feeding Behavior:

Carnivore

Seasonal Behavior

May - September

Reproduction:

Young of the year (YOY) recruit from May to September.

References

• Butler, J.L., M.S. Love, and T.E. Laidig. 2012. A guide to the rockfishes, thorny heads, and scorpionfishes of the northeast Pacific. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. 185 p.
• Love, M. 1996. Probably more than you want to know about the fishes of the Pacific Coast. Really Big Press, Santa Barbara, CA. 381 p.

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