About Sebastes nebulosus Ayres, 1854
Sebastes nebulosus, commonly called the China rockfish, has a compact body with a small mouth. It has a concave space between the eyes and robust spines on the head, with no spines located above the eyes. The dorsal fin has deeply notched membranes between its long spines; it contains 13 spines and 13 or 14 soft rays, while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 6 to 8 soft rays. Its caudal fin is rounded. This species reaches a maximum total length of 45 cm (18 in) and a maximum published weight of 1.7 kg (3.7 lb). Its overall body color can be blue or black, marked with yellow mottling that is mixed with some white mottling. The main distinguishing feature of this species is a distinct yellow stripe that begins on the dorsal fin near the third dorsal spine, extends obliquely to the lateral line, then runs along the lateral line to form a shape resembling an ice hockey stick. The pelvic, anal, and caudal fins are dark in color. The China rockfish occurs in the eastern Pacific Ocean along the western coast of North America, ranging from Kodiak Island in Alaska to Redondo Beach and San Nicholas Island in California. It is most abundant from central British Columbia south to central California. It lives in association with reefs, found at depths between 3 and 128 m (9.8 and 419.9 ft), and typically occurs in water less than 92 m (302 ft) deep.
