Sebastes mystinus (Jordan & Gilbert, 1881)
Blue rockfish
Sebastes mystinus
photo by Nichols, J.

Family:  Sebastidae (Rockfishes, rockcods and thornyheads), subfamily: Sebastinae
Max. size:  61 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 3,790.0 g; max. reported age: 44 years
Environment:  reef-associated; marine; depth range 0 - 550 m
Distribution:  Eastern Pacific: northern limit is uncertain, at least from Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada (possibly Aleutian Islands, Alaska) to northern Baja California, Mexico.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 13-13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15-17; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 8-10; Vertebrae: 26-27. Head spines weak to very weak - nasals present, preoculars usually present, supraocular, postocular and tympanic spines usually absent, coronal, parietal and nuchal spines absent (Ref. 27437). Eye diameter and mouth small (Ref. 27437). Deep bodied with large pectoral fins (Ref. 27437). Anal fin profile vertical or slanted posteriorly (Ref. 27437). Caudal fin indented (Ref. 6885). Blue or black in color with vague striping on forehead; lighter ventrally (Ref. 27437). Branchiostegal rays: 7 (Ref. 36715).
Biology:  May be found near the surface or off the bottom, generally over shallow reefs, but also around kelp and over deep reefs (Ref. 2850). Juveniles are pelagic (Ref. 36715). Form schools, sometimes with other rockfishes (Ref. 2850). Feed mainly on krill (Ref. 2850), but also on tunicates, jellyfishes and fishes (Ref. 6885). Viviparous, with planktonic larvae (Ref. 36715). Young are important prey for fishes and other marine vertebrates (Ref. 2850).
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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