Black-and-yellow Rockfish

Sebastes chrysomelas' body is mainly black or brown and consists of yellow to orange spots on its back with a pale underbelly. The body is typically squat and compact, and covered with spines. Around the eyes, there are faint dark stripes and its lower lip is a dark grey color. The yellow spots on the back are the main distinguishing factor between Sebastes chrysomelas and other species of rockfish. Its head consists of 5 pairs of large spines. Their anal fins have 3 spines and 6–7 soft rays, and the pectoral fins have 17–18 rays with a flesh-like appearance. The anal and dorsal fins are mildly venomous which tend to cause a painful wound. The average size of the fish is 39 cm.

Sebastes chrysomelas is found in waters around the coast of northern California to central Baja California, Mexico. These waters typically range between 11.0 and 21.4 degrees Celsius. It inhabits intertidal zones and shallow waters up to 37m in-depth. The black-and-yellow rockfish has also been found to inhabit holes and cracks in rocky zones. They can be commonly found around rocky water areas and reefs or near kelp beds.

Sebastes chrysomelas is a solitary and sedentary fish, and become most active during twilight hours. They are highly territorial once establishing a home and they seldom move more than 2km away from their home. They tend to be aggressive towards other species, as they exclude the similar looking Sebastes carnatus from shallower waters.