Vermilion Rockfish Sebastes miniatus

The Vermilion Rockfish is native to the Pacific coast of North America from Alaska to northern Mexico. As the name indicates, they are generally an orange or red colour.

They can grow to some 90cm long. Like other rockfish, they are related to scorpionfish and have venomous spines. Also like other rockfish, fertilization is internal and they give birth to live fry. Populations are threatened by overfishing.

They look similar to the Canary Rockfish, S. pinniger, of Alaska to California which has a slightly forked tail and a clear white lateral line into adulthood. The Yellow-eyed Rockfish, S. ruberrimus has a similar range and size but has a slightly rounded tail at the corners. All three juveniles have white lateral lines and all three adults are sometimes called Red Snappers, the usual name of several of the snapper genus Lutjanus.