E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Wildlife of British Columbia

Sebastes polyspinis (Taranetz & Moiseev, 1933)
Northern Rockfish
Family: Scorpaenidae

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Introduction

Note that Gillespie (pers. comm. 2001) considers this species hypothetical as there are no Canadian vouchers, although there are records from NOAA surveys in Canadian waters.

Species Information

Dorsal spines (total): 14; Anal spines: 3. Head spines very weak - nasal spines present, preocular, postocular and parietal spines usually present, supraocular, tympanic, coronal and nuchal spines absent (Ref. 27437). The only rockfish in the eastern Gulf of Alaska with 14 dorsal fin spines; second anal fin spine as long as the 3rd (Ref. 27437). Top of head convex between eyes (Ref. 27437). Dark red with gray mottling and orange flecks; lower edge of pectoral fin white (Ref. 27437).

Source: FishBase. Eschmeyer, W.N., E.S. Herald and H Hammann. 1983 . (Ref. 2850)

Biology

Species Biology

Found on soft bottoms (Ref. 2850). Viviparous (Ref. 34817). Environment: demersal; marine; depth range 0 - 740 m (Ref. 50610) Climate: temperate

Source: FishBase. Eschmeyer, W.N., E.S. Herald and H Hammann. 1983 . (Ref. 2850)

Distribution

North Pacific: eastern Kamchatka to Pervenets Canyon in the Bering Sea and from Stalemate Bank to Graham Island (Queen Charlotte Islands), British Columbia, Canada. Gillespie (pers. comm. 2011) considers this to be a hypothetical species in BC "as there are no Canadian vouchers. There are records from NOAA surveys in Canadian waters."

Source: FishBase. Eschmeyer, W.N., E.S. Herald and H Hammann. 1983 . (Ref. 2850)

Status Information

Origin Status	Provincial Status	BC List (Red Blue List)	COSEWIC
Native	SNR	No Status	Not Listed

BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer--the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Genetic and lineage information (NCBI Taxonomy Browser)

Additional Range and Status Information Links

NatureServe Explorer
University of Alaska Museum

Additional Photo Sources

Flickr Image Search
Google Image Search
Images from Calphoto

Related Databases

fishbase

General References

FishBase References
Google Scholar Search

Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2021. E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Fauna of British Columbia [efauna.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2026-03-08 10:58:42 AM]

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