China Rockfish

The China rockfish has a compact body with a small mouth. They have a concave intraorbital space and robust spines on the head but there are none above the eyes. The dorsal fin has deeply incised membranes between its long spines, there are 13 spines and 13 or 14 soft rays in the dorsal fin while the anal fin has 3 spines and 6 to 8 soft rays. Their caudal fin is rounded. This species attains a maximum total length of 45 cm (18 in) and a maximum published weight of 1.7 kg (3.7 lb). The overall color may be blue or black, marked with yellow mottling which is mixed with some white mottling. The main distinguishing feature of this species is the clear yellow stripe which starts on the dorsal fin near the third dorsal fin spine and extends obliquely to the lateral line then runs along that line to make a shape like an ice hockey stick. The pelvic, anal and caudal fins are dark colored.

The China rockfish is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean off the western coast of North America from Kodiak Island in Alaska to Redondo Beach and San Nicholas Island in California. It is at its most common from central British Columbia south to central California. It is associated with reefs at depths between 3 and 128 m (9.8 and 419.9 ft) but it is typically found in water less than 92 m (302 ft) deep.