Vermilion Rockfish, Sebastes miniatus

Vermilion Rockfish, Sebastes miniatus. Fish caught from coastal waters off San Diego, California, October 2014. Length: 28 cm (11 inches).  Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Josh Leisen (joshadventures.com), Gaylord, Michigan.

Vermilion Rockfish, Sebastes miniatus. Commercial fish courtesy of the Ranch 99 Market, San Diego,  California, October 2009. Length: 38 cm (15 inches).

Vermilion Rockfish, Sebastes miniatus. Fish provided by the commercial fishermen of the greater San Diego area, San Diego, California, October 2014. Length: 34 cm (13 inches). Identification courtesy of Milton Love, University of California, Santa Barbara, Goleta, California and reconfirmed by Dr. John Hyde, NOAA, La Jolla, California.

Vermilion Rockfish, Sebastes miniatus. Fish caught from coastal waters off Ejido Eréndira, Baja California, February 2015. Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Chris Wheaton, Fullerton, California.

Vermilion Rockfish, Sebastes miniatus. Fish caught from coastal waters off Tijuana, Baja California, February 2022. Length: 38 cm (15 inches). Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Chris Moore, Peoria, Arizona.

The Vermilion Rockfish, Sebastes miniatus, is a member of the Rockfish and Scorpionfish or Scorpaenidae Family, that is known in Mexico as rocote bermejo. 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 Vermilion Rockfish was very recently determined to be a separate species having historically been known as the Vermilion Rockfish, Type I with the Vermilion Rockfish, Type II, being introduced very recently as the Sunset Rockfish, Sebastes crocotulus.

The Vermilion Rockfish has a squat blocky body with a depth that is 35% to 39% of standard length. They are a red fish with mottling on their upper back; their fins are a uniform red color. Their head is of medium length with relatively small eyes and a small terminal mouth. Their anal fin has 3 spines and 6 to 8 rays; their caudal fin is slightly lunate; their dorsal fin has 13 spines and 12 to 15 rays; and, their pectoral fins have 17 to 19 rays. They have 33 to 43 gill rakers. Their body is covered with scales.

The Vermilion Rockfish is a schooling species found from mid-water to the bottom over rock substrates at depths between 6 m (20 feet) and 100 m (330 feet). They reach a maximum of 76 cm (2 feet 6 inches) in length, with females being larger than males. As of January 1, 2024, the International Game Fish Association world record stood at 5.45 kg (12 lbs 0 oz) with the fish caught in coastal waters off Depoe Bay, Oregon in June 1990. They are known to school with Bocaccios, Blue Rockfish, Brown Rockfish, Canary Rockfish, Copper Rockfish and Yellowtail Rockfish. They feed on fish and a variety of invertebrates including crabs, shrimp, and squid. Reproduction is oviparous with each female releasing between 63,000 and 2,600,000 pelagic eggs. They have lifespans of up to sixty years. The Vermillion 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 especially how they differs from the Sunset Rockfish, Sebastes crocotulus.

The Vermilion Rockfish is a resident of Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean but has a very limited distribution being found from San Quintin, Baja California, northward along the northwest coast of Baja.

The Vermilion Rockfish is easily confused with the Canary Rockfish, Sebastes pinniger (lateral line reaching into the head; white edged anal fin) and the Sunset Rockfish, Sebastes crocotulus (smaller eyes; narrower caudal peduncle; yellow-orange body coloration).

From a conservation perspective the Vermilion Rockfish has not been formally evaluated. The catch levels and interest in this species from both a commercial and recreational perspective are not well documented. Commercially they are caught with trawl nets or by hook and line. It is believed that since the Vermilion Rockfish are found at reasonable depths, they are caught much more frequently than the Sunset Rockfish, found in deeper waters. They are the third most frequently caught recreational fish in California. They are deemed an exceptional food fish, commanding high prices, and are a component of the live fishery.