Quillback rockfish
Quillback rockfish | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Scorpaeniformes |
Family: | Scorpaenidae |
Genus: | Sebastes |
Species: | S. maliger
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Binomial name | |
Sebastes maliger (D. S. Jordan & C. H. Gilbert 1880)
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Synonyms[1] | |
Sebastichthys maliger Jordan & Gilbert, 1880 |
The quillback rockfish (Sebastes maliger), also known as the quillback seaperch, is a
Taxonomy
The quliiback rockfish was originally
Description
The quillback rockfish have a head protected by strong spines, the
Distribution and habitat
The quillback rockfish lives along the Pacific coast from the Gulf of Alaska to the northern Channel Islands of Southern California. Like other rockfish species, quillbacks live on the bottom, perching on rocks or hiding in rock crevices.[7] The juveniles stay mainly along the shore, in reefs, sand and eelgrass, while the adult rockfish live in the deeper waters. They are for the most part solitary dwellers, rarely being found in groups. They are rarely found in the open ocean, generally preferring to stay close to kelp, rocks, coral, or lodged in crevices or holes. Despite this, they are not territorial. High densities tend to coincide with peak plant growth. They occupy a variety of habitats in many different areas on the west coast of North America.
Depending on the location, the quillback rockfish are minimally to moderately migratory. On the high-relief rocky reefs of Puget Sound, Washington, they maintain small ranges of 30 square meters, while on low-relief reefs they may stay within a larger, 400 – 1500 square meter, area. They sometimes move seasonally to low-relief reefs when kelp is present (summer).[7]
Biology
The quillback rockfish is
Quillback rockfish are predatory preying on herring, crabs, amphipods, krill and copepods. They are diurnal feeders.[10]
Fishing
Rockfish as a group are important to the fishing industry as a food fish. Quillback rockfish have white, flaky meat with a delicate flavor, as befits deep-dwelling cold water species.[11] From Oregon to southeast Alaska quillback rockfish are an important part of the inshore sport commercial fishery and are also taken by party and private vessels and divers. They are often caught in deep, cold water by bottom fishing with herring or jigging. Most rockfish are landed in deep water by anglers using bottom-fishing tactics or mid-water drifting. These fish are not known for great battles or for large size, although the larger specimens may provide good sport.[11] According to the Oregon Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, the sport harvest of nearshore rockfish (such as quillback, copper and china rockfish) off the Oregon coast has been 6-12 metric tons annually between 2004 and 2009. This is within the sport harvest limits set to maintain the resource.[12]
Similar species
Similar species are the brown rockfish, the copper rockfish, and the China rockfish. The brown rockfish is commonly mistaken for the quillback rockfish. The China rockfish, on the other hand, does not generally resemble the quillback rockfish.[7]
References
- ^ a b c Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2021). "Sebasyes maliger" in FishBase. August 2021 version.
- ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Sebastes". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- doi:10.1139/z06-022.
- ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (22 May 2021). "Order Perciformes (Part 8): Suborder Scorpaenoidei: Families Sebastidae, Setarchidae and Neosebastidae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ "Quillback Rockfish". Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
- ^ "Quillback Rockfish (Sebastes maliger)". Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
- ^ a b c "Quillback rockfish". NOAA. Archived from the original on May 26, 2010. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
- ^ a b "COSEWIC Executive Summary Quillback Rockfish Sebastes maliger" (PDF). COSEWIV. 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ^ "Creature Feature: Quillback Rockfish". Marine Management News. California Department of Fish & Wildlife. 9 March 2020.
- ^ "Quillback Rockfish". guidesly.com. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-470-44431-3.
- ^ Oregon Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Marine Resources Program, accessed 11 June 2010 Archived 23 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine