Sunset Rockfish, Sebastes crocotulus
Sunset Rockfish, Sebastes crocotulus. Fish caught from coastal waters off San Quintin, Baja California, May 2014. Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Chris Wheaton, Fullerton, California.
Sunset Rockfish, Sebastes crocotulus. 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.
Sunset Rockfish, Sebastes crocotulus. Fish caught from coastal waters off Tijuana, Baja California, February 2023. Length: 40 cm (16 inches). Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Chris Moore, Peoria, Arizona.
The Sunset Rockfish, Sebastes crocotulus, is a member of the Rockfish and Scorpionfish or Scorpaenidae Family, that is known in Mexico as rocote crepúsculo. 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 Sunset Rockfish was very recently determined to be a separate species having historically been known as the Vermilion Rockfish, Type II.
The Sunset Rockfish has a squat blocky body with a depth that is 35% to 39% of standard length. They have a yellowish-orange coloration with mottling on their upper back; their fins are normally darker and red in 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 Sunset Rockfish is a schooling species found from mid-water to the bottom over rock substrates at depths between 100 m (330 feet) and 840 m (2,750 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 1.5 kg (3 lbs 4 oz) with the fish caught in coastal waters off San Diego in October 2020. They are known to school with Bocaccios and with 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 2.6 million pelagic eggs. They have lifespans of up to sixty years. The Sunset 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 and specifically how it differs from the Vermilion Rockfish, Sebastes miniatus.
The Sunset Rockfish is a resident of Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean but has a limited distribution being found from San Quintin, Baja California northward along the northwest coast of Baja.
The Sunset Rockfish is easily confused with the Canary Rockfish, Sebastes pinniger (lateral line reaching into the head; white edged anal fin) and the Vermilion Rockfish, Sebastes miniatus (larger eyes; wider caudal peduncle; uniform red body coloration).
From a conservation perspective the Sunset Rockfish has not been formally evaluated. It has only recently been separated from the Vermilion Rockfish as an individual species. As such 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 Sunset Rockfish are found at significantly deeper depths, they are not caught as frequently as the Vermilion Rockfish, which is 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.