Greenspotted Rockfish, Sebastes chlorostictus

Greenspotted Rockfish, Sebastes chlorostictus. Fish caught from coastal waters off Catalina Island, California, December 2020. Length: 26 cm (10 inches). Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Josh Leisen (joshadventures.com), Gaylord, Michigan.

Greenspotted Rockfish, Sebastes chlorostictus. Fish provided by the commercial fishermen of the greater San Diego area, San Diego, California, October 2014. Length: 27 cm (11 inches).

Greenspotted Rockfish, Sebastes chlorostrictus. Fish caught from coastal waters off San Quintin, Baja California, August 2014. Length: 28 cm (11 inches). Catch and photograph courtesy of Chris Wheaton, Fullerton, California. Identification courtesy of Milton Love, University of California, Santa Barbara, Goleta, California.

Greenspotted Rockfish, Sebastes chlorostrictus. Fish caught from coastal waters off Colonet, Baja California, November 2022. Length: 29 cm (11 inches). Catch, photograph and identifications courtesy of Chris Wheaton, Fullerton, California.

Greenspotted Rockfish, Sebastes chlorostictus. Fish caught from coastal waters off Half Moon Bay, California, September 2023. Length: 36 cm (21 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Ben Cantrell, Peoria, Illinois.

The Greenspotted Rockfish, Sebastes chlorostictus, is a member of the Rockfish and Scorpionfish or Scorpaenidae Family, and is known in Mexico as rocote verde. 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 Greenspotted Rockfish is a squat and spiny fish with wide bodies that have a depth that is 36% to 40% of standard length. They have an overall yellow coloration with pink tinges and are marked profusely with green spots on their head and above their lateral line. There also have 3 to 5 white blotches above their lateral line and alternating pink and yellow bars radiating posteriorly from their eyes. Their fins are uniformly yellowish-pink, similar to their body color. They have large heads with big eyes, short snouts, and a mouth that ends at the front margin of their eyes. Their anal fin has 3 spines (the second and third being stout and the second being longer than the third) and 5 to 7 rays; their caudal fin is square; their dorsal fin is deeply incised with 12 spines and 11 to 15 rays; and, their pectoral fins have 16 to 18 rays. They have 31 to 36 gill rakers and their body is covered with scales.

The Greenspotted Rockfish reside in a wide variety of habitats including over boulders, rock ledges, and muddy bottoms at depths between 61 m (200 feet) and 244 m (800 feet). They reach a maximum length of 47 cm (19 inches), with males and females being of similar length. As of January 1, 2024, the International Game Fish Association world record stood at 1.02 kg (2 lbs 4 oz) with the fish caught in coastal waters off Half Moon Bay, California, September 2023, by my good friend Allyn Toth, Peoria, Illinois. They are bottom dwellers and can be found within schools of Canary Rockfish, Flag Rockfish, Greenblotched Rockfish, and Halfbanded Rockfish. They feed on bottom dwelling crustaceans and small fish. They have a lifespan of at least thirty-three years. The Greenspotted 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 Greenspotted Rockfish is a resident of Mexican waters of the Pacific but has a limited distribution being found from Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur, northward along the central and northwest coasts of Baja.

The Greenspotted Rockfish is most likely confused with the Greenblotched Rockfish, Sebastes rosenblatti (green blotches and wavy lines on back) and the Pink Rockfish, Sebastes eos (similarly shaped but lack green spotting).

From a conservation perspective the Greenspotted Rockfish has not been formally evaluated. They are a strong component of the California commercial fishery with most fish taken via gill nets, hook and line, and trawls then marketed fresh. They are also a favorite of recreational anglers. They are considered an excellent food fish.