About Sebastes atrovirens (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880)
This species, Sebastes atrovirens, reaches approximately 42 centimeters in length. Its lifespan can range up to 15 to 20 years, and in some cases even 25 years. Individual fish can appear tan, brown, green, reddish, blackish, whitish, or brown-mottled, and their snouts have a distinct up-turned shape. This species was recently reclassified: it was moved from the Sebastes subgenus Mebarus to the subgenus Pteropodus, which also contains the brown, gopher, copper, black-and-yellow, calico, quillback, China, and grass rockfishes. Similar to some other rockfish species, Sebastes atrovirens can produce an auditory signal in the form of low-frequency pulsing noise.
This is a marine fish distributed from Sonoma County, California, south to central Baja California, found in a subtropical climate. It inhabits coastal waters down to 42 meters deep, though most individuals live at depths of no more than around 12 meters. Its natural habitats are kelp beds and rocky seabeds. It is commonly found alongside several other rockfish species in this habitat, but has a closer association with kelp than these other species. During the day, it often rests on kelp blades, sometimes in an upside-down position. The main kelp species in its habitat is Macrocystis pyrifera, or giant kelp. Other brown algae present in its habitat include Pterygophora californica, Cystoseira osmundacea, and species from the Desmarestia genus. It has also been recorded in artificial habitats such as oil rigs.
