About Sebastiscus marmoratus (Cuvier, 1829)
Sebastiscus marmoratus (Cuvier, 1829) has a moderately deep body. The upper rear margin of its pectoral fins is almost straight. This species has no suborbital spine, no suborbital ridge, and no flap of skin at the axil of the pectoral fin. Its caudal fin is rounded. The dorsal fin has 12 spines and between 10 and 13 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 5 soft rays. The overall body color is yellowish-brown, ranging from reddish to blackish, marked with white to dark blotches. A series of dark blotches or saddles runs along the back, white spotting is scattered across the lower flank, but any spots above the lateral line are indistinct. This species reaches a maximum total length of 36.2 cm (14.3 in) and a maximum published weight of 2.8 kg (6.2 lb). Sebastiscus marmoratus is native to the western Pacific Ocean, ranging from Vietnam north to China, Japan and Korea, and east to the Philippines, reaching as far north as southern Hokkaido. There are extralimital records of this species: it has been recorded twice in Australia and once in the North Atlantic off Norway. These records are thought to probably result from the fish being transported to these locations in the ballast water of ships. This is a demersal fish that lives on rocky substrates near shore, in seaweed beds, lagoons, and seaward reefs.
