Sebastes melanops

• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• Bibliography
• More Info
• Notes

Common Names

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Description

Family Sebastidae

Distribution: Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. The livebearing Sebastes with about 110 species occurs mainly in the North Pacific. Body compressed ; head usually with ridges and spines; gill membranes free from isthmus. Venom gland in dorsal, anal , and pelvic spines.The family Sebastidae belongs to the Class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes ) and the Order Scorpaeniformes. It contains 4 genera and 128 species. It may be found in Marine environments and is primarily Marine. Members of this family are not used in the aquarium trade. Reproductively, most members of this family are bearers. The main mode of swimming of adult fish in this family is balistiform. Compared with other fish, the activity level of this family tends to be sluggish. Etymology of this family name : Greek, sebastes = august, admirable , epithet given to the roman emperor Augustus

Physical Description

Habitat

Found near rocky reefs in shallow water and in open water over deep banks (Ref. 2850). Adults live both off and on bottom (Ref. 2850). Juveniles are pelagic (Ref. 36715). Maximum depth: 200 fm (366 m )

Typically found in water with a depth of 0 to -5,246 meters (0 to -17,211 feet).Mean = -372.840 meters (-1,223.228 feet), Standard Deviation = 866.030 based on 204 observations. Ocean depth information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre.

Biome: Saltwater . Reef-associated .

Biology

Diet

Feed on fishes (Ref. 27302).

Reproduction

Viviparous , with planktonic larvae (Ref. 36715).

Behavior

Form schools (Ref. 2850).

Predators:

Young are important prey species for other fishes , marine mammals and birds.

Taxonomy

Unambiguous Synonyms

1. Sebastodes melanops (Girard, 1856)

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Family : Rockfishes, rockcods and thornyheads.

Similar Species

• Blue RF - mouth smaller, maxilla extends anterior to midorbit; eye smaller; anal-fin margin perpendicular; head spine count differs.
• Dusky RF - body color gray to greenish brown in Light Dusky RF, uniform dark onto belly in Dark Dusky RF; anal-fin margin perpendicular; symphyseal knob present; mandibular pores evident (reduced in Black RF); head spines typically absent.
• Yellowtail RF - body color brassy; fins washed w/ yellow; anal-fin margin perpendicular; head spine count differs.
• Olive RF - body color olive-brown; fins olive to yellow; head spine count differs; anal-fin margin perpendicular.

Members of the genus Sebastes

There are approximately 158 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

S. aleutianus (Blacktip Rockfish) · S. alutus (Black Bass) · S. atrorubens (Roundhead Rockfish) · S. atrovirens (Kelp Rockfish) · S. auriculatus (Bolina) · S. aurora (Aurora Rockfish) · S. ayresi · S. babcocki (Bandit) · S. baramenuke · S. barmenuke · S. bilineatus · S. bofuciaths · S. borealis (Black-Throated Rock-Fish) · S. brevispinis (Rock Cod) · S. capensis (Cape Redfish) · S. carnatus (Gopher Rockfish) · S. caurine · S. caurinus (Copper Rockfish) · S. cheni · S. chilensis · S. chlorostictus (Greenspotted Rockfish) · S. chrysomelas (Black-And-Yellow Rockfish) · S. ciliatus (Brown Bomber) · S. constellatus (Rockfish) · S. cortezi (Cortez Rockfish) · S. crameri (Blackblotched Rockfish) · S. crysomales · S. dallii (Calico Rockfish) · S. diploproa (Lobe-Jawed Rockfish) · S. diploroa · S. elongatus (Greenstripe Rockfish) · S. emphaeus (Puget Sound Rockfish) · S. ensifer (Rockfish) · S. entomelan · S. entomelas (Brown Bomber) · S. eos (Pink Rockfish) · S. exsul (Buccaneer Rockfish) · S. fasciatus (Acadian Redfish) · S. flammeus · S. flavidus (Greenie) · S. fuscescens · S. garretti · S. gilberti · S. gilli (Bronzespotted Rockfish) · S. glaucous · S. glaucus (Gray Rockfish) · S. goodei (Chilipepper) · S. helvomaculatus (Rock Cod) · S. hopkinsi (Rockfish) · S. hubbsi · S. ijimae · S. inermis (Darkbanded Rockfish) · S. intermis · S. borealis · S. iracundus · S. itinus · S. jordani (Rock Cod) · S. joyneri · S. kawaradae · S. kiyomatsui · S. koreanus · S. lentiginosus (Freckled Rockfish) · S. levis (Cow Rockfish) · S. longiceps · S. longispinis · S. luteus · S. macdonaldi (Mexican Rockfish) · S. maliger (Brown Bomber) · S. marinas · S. marinus (Bream) · S. marinus marinus (Bream) · S. marinus mentella · S. marinus viviparus · S. matsubarae · S. melanops (Black Bass) · S. melanosema (Rockfish) · S. melanostictus · S. melanostomus (Blackgill Rockfish) · S. mentella (Deepwater Redfish) · S. miniatus (Rock Cod) · S. minor · S. minutus · S. moseri (Whitespeckled Rockfish) · S. mystinus (Blue Rockfish) · S. nebulosus (China Rockfish) · S. nigrocinctus (Banded Rock-Fish) · S. nigromaculatus · S. nivosus · S. norvegicus (Golden Redfish) · S. norwegicus · S. notius (Guadalupe Rockfish) · S. novegicus · S. oblongus · S. ocellatus · S. oculatus (Blackbelly Rosefish) · S. ovalis (Rockfish) · S. owstoni · S. pachycephalus (Chmidt) · S. pachycephalus chalcogrammus · S. pachycephalus nigricans

Bibliography

• Eschmeyer, W.N., E.S. Herald and H. Hammann (1983). A field guide to Pacific coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 336 p.
• Hart, J.L. (1973). Pacific fishes of Canada. Fish. Res. Board Can. Bull. 180:1-740.
• Kramer, D.E. and V.M. O'Connell (1995). Guide to Northeast Pacific rockfishes. Genera Sebastes and Sebastolobus. Alaska Sea Grant, Marine Advisory Bulletin No. 25
• Robins, Richard C., Reeve M. Bailey, Carl E. Bond, James R. Brooker, Ernest A. Lachner, et al. 1980. A List of Common and Scientific Names of Fishes from the United States and Canada, Fourth Edition. American Fisheries Society Special Publication, no. 12. American Fisheries Society. Bethesda, Maryland, USA. 174.

More Info

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Notes

Contributors

• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2006. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed April 20, 2007.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed March 01, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 5 providers.
• MBLWHOI Library: Universal Biological Index and Organizer. uBio.org accessed July 18, 2008.
• Smith-Vaniz, William F. (from FishBase).

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal March 01, 2008:

• Burke Museum: University of Washington Fish Collection
• Canadian Museum of Nature: Canadian Museum of Nature Fish Collection
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Canadian Museum of Nature - Fish Collection (OBIS Canada)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: North Pacific Groundfish Observer (North Pacific Research Board)
• Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History: Vertebrate specimens
• Royal Ontario Museum: Fish specimens
• University of Kansas Biodiversity Research Center: Fish Collection

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2501821
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Fis-30639
• Fishbase Species ID: 3979
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13535492
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 166727
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: AFC4A06350
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 124601

Footnotes

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