Scientific Name
Sebastes emphaeus

Common Name
Puget Sound rockfish

Biology
Inhabits reefs and rocky shorelines and found in loose congregations hovering above the bottom or resting among caves and crevices (Ref. 27436). Seeks shelter in areas of strong current (Ref. 2850). Viviparous (Ref. 34817). Flesh is tasty and flaky, but since it is rarely caught, it is seldom used as a food fish (Ref. 2850, 27436). May be used as bait for large rockfish, lingcod or cabezon (Ref. 27436).

Classification

Classified By

Starks, 1911

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Scorpionfishes and Flatheads (Scorpaeniformes)

Family

Rockfishes, rockcods and thornyheads (Sebastidae)

Distribution

Region

Northeast Pacific

Distribution

Northeast Pacific: Kenai Peninsula, Alaska to northern California, USA.

Range

60°N - 38°N

Environment

Climate

Temperate

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

0 m

Depth To - meters

366 m

Zone

reef-associated

Environment

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 366 m (Ref. 27437)

Trophic Level

3.23 s.e. 0.43 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

True

Is kept in Aquariums

True

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

18.0 cm

Common Length

Unknown cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Aquarium: public aquariums; bait: occasionally

Vulnerability

Low vulnerability (24 of 100)

Resilience

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.54-0.70; tm=1.9; tmax=13; Fec=3,295)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated