China rockfish
Encyclopedia
The China rockfish is a rockfish
of the Pacific
coast found from Kachemak Bay
in the northern Gulf of Alaska
to Redondo Beach
and San Nicolas Island
in southern California
.
The China rockfish has a distinctive appearance, with a dark blue or black body crossed by a patchy but obvious yellow stripe that extends from around the third dorsal spine down and then along the lateral line
. Although the black-and-yellow rockfish is similar in appearance, the China rockfish has a continuous yellow band while the black-and-yellow
has scattered patches of yellow. The body of the China Rockfish may be covered with small whitish or yellowish spots. Maximum reported size is 45 cm (18 inches).
Early life history is little-known; juveniles have been observed in shallow coastal water. Adults are solitary and territorial, preferring rocky outcrops with boulder fields and crevices. When confronted with an intruder, the fish erect its spines and try to look larger. The territories are apparently small, with a study off Vancouver Island
finding Chinas moving only within 10 m (33 ft). They feed on benthic organisms, including brittle star
s, chiton
s, and crustacean
s such as crabs and shrimp.
They have been popular for commercial fishing since the 19th century. During the 1930s, Chinas sold for twice as much as any other rockfish except the black-and-yellow rockfish, and for more than any other kind of finfish. They are today popular in Asia, often being sold alive. Commercial fishing methods include hook and line, longline, and trapping
.
The species epithet nebulosus is Latin for "clouded". Although Jordan and Evermann promoted the common name "yellowspotted rockfish", the "China" name has persisted, due to a perceived preference by persons of Chinese ancestry living in central California. The species was actually described by both W. O. Ayres and Charles Frédéric Girard
in the same year, with Girard naming the species S. fasciatus, but the name had already been used for the Acadian redfish
and thus Ayres' choice prevailed.
Sebastidae
Sebastidae is a family of marine fish in the order Scorpaeniformes. Their common names include rockfishes, thornyheads and rockcods. Despite the latter name, they are not closely related to the cods in the genus Gadus, nor the rock cod, Lotella rhacina.Not all authorities recognise this family as...
of the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
coast found from Kachemak Bay
Kachemak Bay
Kachemak Bay is a 64-km-long arm of Cook Inlet in the U.S. state of Alaska, located on the southwest side of the Kenai Peninsula. The communities of Homer, Halibut Cove, Seldovia, Nanwalek, Port Graham, and Kachemak City are on the bay as well as three Old Believer settlements in the Fox River...
in the northern Gulf of Alaska
Gulf of Alaska
The Gulf of Alaska is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the east, where Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage are found.The entire shoreline of the Gulf is...
to Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach, California
Redondo Beach is one of the three Beach Cities located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 66,748 at the 2010 census, up from 63,261 at the 2000 census. The city is located in the South Bay region of the greater Los Angeles area.Redondo Beach was originally part of...
and San Nicolas Island
San Nicolas Island
San Nicolas Island is the most remote of California's Channel Islands. It is part of Ventura County. The 14,562 acre island is currently controlled by the United States Navy and is used as a weapons testing and training facility, served by Naval Outlying Field San Nicolas Island...
in southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
The China rockfish has a distinctive appearance, with a dark blue or black body crossed by a patchy but obvious yellow stripe that extends from around the third dorsal spine down and then along the lateral line
Lateral line
The lateral line is a sense organ in aquatic organisms , used to detect movement and vibration in the surrounding water. Lateral lines are usually visible as faint lines running lengthwise down each side, from the vicinity of the gill covers to the base of the tail...
. Although the black-and-yellow rockfish is similar in appearance, the China rockfish has a continuous yellow band while the black-and-yellow
Black-and-yellow
"Black and Yellow" is a song by Wiz Khalifa.Black-and-yellow or Black and Yellow may also refer to:* Black-and-yellow Broadbill, a near threatened bird species* Black-and-yellow Grosbeak, a finch* Black-and-yellow mud dauber, a wasp...
has scattered patches of yellow. The body of the China Rockfish may be covered with small whitish or yellowish spots. Maximum reported size is 45 cm (18 inches).
Early life history is little-known; juveniles have been observed in shallow coastal water. Adults are solitary and territorial, preferring rocky outcrops with boulder fields and crevices. When confronted with an intruder, the fish erect its spines and try to look larger. The territories are apparently small, with a study off Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
finding Chinas moving only within 10 m (33 ft). They feed on benthic organisms, including brittle star
Brittle star
Brittle stars or ophiuroids are echinoderms in the class Ophiuroidea closely related to starfish. They crawl across the seafloor using their flexible arms for locomotion. The ophiuroids generally have five long slender, whip-like arms which may reach up to in length on the largest specimens...
s, chiton
Chiton
Chitons are small to large, primitive marine molluscs in the class Polyplacophora.There are 900 to 1,000 extant species of chitons in the class, which was formerly known as Amphineura....
s, and crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s such as crabs and shrimp.
They have been popular for commercial fishing since the 19th century. During the 1930s, Chinas sold for twice as much as any other rockfish except the black-and-yellow rockfish, and for more than any other kind of finfish. They are today popular in Asia, often being sold alive. Commercial fishing methods include hook and line, longline, and trapping
Trapping (Animal)
Animal trapping, or simply trapping, is the use of a device to remotely catch an animal. Animals may be trapped for a variety of purposes, including food, wildlife management, hunting, and pest control...
.
The species epithet nebulosus is Latin for "clouded". Although Jordan and Evermann promoted the common name "yellowspotted rockfish", the "China" name has persisted, due to a perceived preference by persons of Chinese ancestry living in central California. The species was actually described by both W. O. Ayres and Charles Frédéric Girard
Charles Frédéric Girard
Charles Frédéric Girard was a French biologist specializing in ichthyology and herpetology.Born in Mulhouse, France, he studied at the College of Neuchâtel, Switzerland as a student of Louis Agassiz. In 1847, he accompanied Agassiz as his assistant to Harvard...
in the same year, with Girard naming the species S. fasciatus, but the name had already been used for the Acadian redfish
Acadian redfish
The Acadian redfish is a marine deep-water fish belonging to the family Sebastidae.Found in the northern Atlantic Ocean, the Acadian redfish lives in depths of 70–592 meters. S. fasciatus is colored reddish-orange, can live up to 50 years or more and reacheslengths up to 20 inches...
and thus Ayres' choice prevailed.