Bocaccio Rockfish
Sebastes paucispinis
APPEARANCE
Note: Bocaccio are often mislabeled as red snapper, Pacific snapper and rock cod in markets and restaurants.
RANGE & HABITAT
Young Bocaccio live near the surface of the ocean in a ‘nursery’ area, often in kelp beds or rocky reefs. Living near the surface keeps the young fish close to good food sources and calm waters. Once they grow, Bocaccio feel at home in deep water between 60 and 340m below the ocean surface. They live along rocky ocean bottoms, including coral reefs! These areas are filled with rich and diverse underwater plant and fish communities.
Trawling (dragging a net along the bottom of the ocean and pulling up whatever the net catches) and warming oceans caused by climate change are harming these places, making it challenging for Bocaccio to thrive in a safe home.
RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIPS
Coastal rockfish are a vital resource for the Coastal First Nations in B.C. Rockfish are not only a food but are also important for asserting Indigenous harvesting rights. Research on rockfish has been ongoing over the past decade to determine the best ways to protect these populations. Currently, the Bocaccio rockfish is critically endangered, which can threaten ecosystem balance.
Bocaccio rockfish can live up to 57 years. Other species of rockfish can live up to 200 years! Rockfish don’t start reproducing until later in life. Late reproduction means that they are often killed by predators or human impacts before they have a chance to reproduce. In this species, the oldest fish have the most potential to reproduce, so when humans catch and kill them, it is very harmful to the population.