Canary rockfish

The canary rockfish (Sebastes pinniger), also known as the orange rockfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the subfamily Sebastinae, the rockfishes, part of the family Scorpaenidae. It is native to the waters of the Pacific Ocean off western North America. Taxonomy The canary rockfish was first formally described in 1864 by the American zoologist Theodore Gill with the type locality given as California. Some authorities place this species in the subgenus Rosicola. The specific name pinniger is a compound of pinnis which means "fin" and iger meaning "to bear" thought to be a reference to the longer pectoral and ventral fins of this species in comparison to the similar S. rosaceus'. Species description As the name suggests, this rockfish is notable for a general orange-yellow appearance, consisting of a blotchy orange pattern over a whitish or light gray background. The head has three stripes angling downwards and back, the middle one generally running across the eye, and the other two on each side of the eye. The lateral line is in a clear area. The fins are orange, with the pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins somewhat pointed and larger (thus the species epithet pinniger, meaning "I bear a large fin"). Some individuals have dark blotches on the body or dorsal fin. Maximum recorded length if 76 cm (29.6 in).