Canary Rockfish, Sebastes pinniger

Canary Rockfish, Sebastes pinniger, Juvenile. Fish caught from coastal waters off Brookings, Oregon, August 2016. Length: 24 cm (9.4 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Luke Ovgard, Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Canary Rockfish, Sebastes pinniger, Juvenile. Fish caught from coastal waters off Santa Cruz, California, July 2016. Length: 25 cm (10 inches). Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Andrew Hansen, Santa Cruz, California.

Canary Rockfish, Sebastes pinniger. Fish caught from coastal waters off San Quintin, Baja California, February 2020. Catch, photographs, and identification courtesy of Chris Wheaton, Fullerton, California.

Canary Rockfish, Sebastes pinniger. Fish caught from coastal waters off Brookings, Oregon, December 2017. Length: 24 cm (9.4 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Luke Ovgard, Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Canary Rockfish, Sebastes pinniger. Fish caught from coastal waters off Half Moon Bay, California, September 2023. Length: 66 cm (26 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Ben Cantrell, Peoria, Illinois.

The Canary Rockfish, Sebastes pinniger, is a member of the Rockfish and Scorpionfish or Scorpaenidae Family, and is known in Mexico as rocote canario. Globally, there are one hundred eight species in the genus Sebastes, fifty-three of which are found in Mexican waters, all in the Pacific Ocean.

The Canary Rockfish have heavy, compact, and fusiform body with a depth that is 33% to 37% of standard length. They are covered with spines. Adults are orange in color with a white or gray background, three bright orange diagonal stripes across the head, and a dark spot on the rear portion of the first dorsal fin. Their lateral line is light gray and extends from the gill covers to the base of the caudal fin. Their fins are orange. Juveniles are long and have disproportionately large heads with dark saddles on a pale body. Their head is mid-length with a short snout, large elevated eyes, and a small terminal mouth. Their anal fin is pointed and has 3 spines and 7 rays; their caudal fin is concave; their dorsal fin has 13 spines and 13 to 15 rays; and, their pectoral fins have 16 to 18 rays. They have 40 to 45 gill rakers. Their body is covered with scales.

The Canary Rockfish aggregate around rock structures in areas with a high current flow close to the bottom at depths up to 854 m (2,800 feet). They reach a maximum of 76 cm (2 feet 6 inches) in length. As of January 1, 2024, the International Game Fish Association world record stood at 4.53 kg (10 lbs 0 oz) with the fish caught in coastal waters off Washington State in May 1986. They are normally found mixed in with Bocaccio, with Silvergray Rockfish, Vermilion Rockfish, and Widow Rockfish, and with Yellowtail Rockfish. They are known to be migratory with movements in excess of 640 km (400 miles) having been documented. They feed on krill and small fish. In turn they are preyed upon by larger fish, sea birds, and marine mammals. Reproduction is oviparous with each female releasing between 260,000 and 1,900,000 pelagic eggs. They have lifespans of up to eighty-four years. The Canary 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 Canary Rockfish is a resident of Mexican waters if the Pacific but has a limited distribution being found from 60 miles south of Ensenada, Baja California, northward along the northwest coast of Baja.

The Canary Rockfish is most likely confused with the Vermilion Rockfish, Sebastes miniatus (deeper red in color; broken lateral line; fins with black margins).

From a conservation perspective the Canary Rockfish has not been formally evaluated. They are considered an excellent food fish and have historically been an important commercial fish along the central and northwest coasts of North America. They are caught commercially via trawl nets and by hook and line. They are caught with good frequency by recreational anglers. A significant decline in their populations has been documented over the last thirty years.