Speckled Rockfish, Sebastes ovalis

Speckled Rockfish, Sebastes ovalis. Fish caught from coastal waters off Tijuana, Baja California, February, 2023. Length: 28 cm (11 inches). Catch, identification and photograph courtesy of Luke Ovgard, Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Speckled Rockfish, Sebastes ovalis. Fish provided by the commercial fishermen of the greater San Diego area, San Diego, California, October 2014. Length: 30 cm (12 inches). Identification courtesy of Milton Love, University of California, Santa Barbara, Goleta, California.

Speckled Rockfish, Sebastes ovalis. Fish caught from coastal waters off Dana Point, California, April 2023. Length: 30 cm (12 inches). Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Chris Moore, Peoria, Arizona. Identification reconfirmed by Milton Love, University of California, Santa Barbara, Goleta, California.

Speckled Rockfish, Sebastes ovalis. Fish caught from coastal waters off Tijuana, Baja California, February 2022. Length: 41 cm (16 inches). Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Chris Moore, Peoria, Arizona.

Speckled Rockfish, Sebastes ovalis. Fish provided by the commercial fishermen of San Diego, California, February 2020.  Length: 41 cm (16 inches). Identification courtesy of Chris Moore, Peoria, Arizona.

Speckled Rockfish, Sebastes ovalis. Fish provided by the commercial fishermen of San Diego, California, February 2020.  Length: 44 cm (17 inches). Identification courtesy of Chris Moore, Peoria, Arizona.

Speckled Rockfish, Sebastes ovalis. Fish caught from coastal waters off Tijuana, Baja California, February 2022. Length: 44 cm (17 inches). Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Chris Moore, Peoria, Arizona.

Speckled Rockfish, Sebastes ovalis. Fish caught from coastal waters off Long Beach, California, October 2015. Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Chris Wheaton, Fullerton, California. Identification reconfirmed by Milton Love, University of California Santa Barbara, Goleta, California.

The Speckled Rockfish, Sebastes ovalis, is a member of the Rockfish and Scorpionfish or Scorpaenidae Family, and known in Mexico as rocote manchado. 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 Speckled Rockfish has an oval elongated narrow body with a width that is 28% to 32% of standard length. They have an overall light tan coloration with small dark brown and black spotting on their back and sides. The tip of their jaw is black and the membranes on their anal and pelvic fins are also black. Their head is sharply pointed and features large eyes and a small terminal mouth. Their anal fin has a strong posterior slant with 3 spines (the second being stout and longer than the third) and 7 or 8 rays; their caudal fin is slightly forked; their dorsal fin has 13 spines and 13 to 16 rays; and, their pectoral fins have 17 to 19 rays. They have 29 to 34 gill rakers and their body is covered with scales.

The Speckled Rockfish reside in a wide variety of habitats including large boulder fields, high-relief areas, and cobblestone bottoms at depths between 30 m (100 feet) and 365 m (1,200 feet). They reach a maximum of 56 cm (22 inches) in length, with females being larger than males. As of January 1, 2023, the International Game Fish Association world record stood at 0.99 kg (2 lbs 3 oz) with the 38.1 cm (15.0 inches) fish caught in coastal waters off San Diego, California in December 1997 by my good friend Chris Wheaton. They are found in mixed schools of other Rockfish including Bocaccio, Pygmy Rockfish, Squarespot Rockfish and Widow Rockfish. They consume mid-water feeders including copepods, krill, and other zooplankton. In the Pacific Northwest they are preyed upon by King Salmon. Females release between 61,000 and 160,000 eggs per annum. They have a lifespan of at least thirty-seven years. The Speckled 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 Speckled Rockfish is a resident of Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean but has a limited distribution being only found from Cedros Island, Baja California, northward along the central and northwest coasts of Baja.

The Speckled Rockfish is very straightforward to identify and cannot be confused with any other species due to its body shape, coloration, and sharp snout.

From a conservation perspective the Speckled Rockfish has not been formally evaluated. They are an important component of the West Coast commercial fishery with fish taken via hook and line and gill nets. They are marketed fresh. They are also caught fairly frequently by recreational anglers. They are considered a quality food fish.