Bronzespotted Rockfish, Sebastis gilli

Bronzespotted Rockfish, Sebastis gilli. Fish caught from coastal waters off Dana Point, California, April 2023. Length: 48 cm (19 inches) each. Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Chris Moore, Peoria, Arizona.

The Bronzespotted Rockfish, Sebastes gilli, is a member of the Rockfish and Scorpionfish or Scorpaenidae Family, also known as the Arkansas Red and Warthog and in Mexico as rocote bronceado. Globally, there are one hundred eight species in the genus Sebastes, of which fifty-three are found in Mexican waters, all in the Pacific Ocean.

The Bronzespotted Rockfish has an deep body with a depth that is 26% to 30% of standard length with older fish having deeper bodies than younger fish. They are an overall orange color with the backs and sides having bronze or copper colored spots. They have three bronze lines radiating from the eyes, two backwards and one downward. Smaller fish have lighter colored fins; in larger fish all of the fins are dark. Their heads are covered with strong spines and they have sharply upturned mouths. Their anal fin has 3 spines and 6 to 8 rays; their caudal fin is lunate; their dorsal fin has 12 spines and 12 to 15 rays; and, their pectoral fins have 18 to 20 rays. They have 26 to 30 gill rakers. Their body is covered with scales.

The Bronzespotted Rockfish reside in caves and in well protected high-relief rocky outcrops and are very reclusive seldom leaving shelter at depths between 75 m (245 feet) and 413 m (1,355 feet). They reach a maximum of 85 cm (34 inches) in length. They mature slowly and have lifespans of at least fifty years. The Bronzespotted Rockfish is poorly studied, with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns, including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

The Bronzespotted Rockfish is a resident of Mexican waters of the Pacific but has a limited range, being found only along the extreme Northwest coast of Baja from just south of Ensenada to the California border in Baja California.

The Bronzespotted Rockfish is a straight forward identification and cannot be easily confused with any other species.

From a conservation perspective the Bronzespotted Rockfish has not been formally evaluated. They are caught on a very limited basis by deepwater recreational fishermen.