ROCKFISH LIFESPAN, SIZE, AGE AT REPRODUCTIVE MATURITY*
|
SPECIES
| LIFESPAN
(estimated**)
| MAXIMUM SIZE
| AGE AT MATURITY*
| SIZE AT MATURITY*
| NOTES
|
Bank
| | 17" male
20" female
| | 15 inches
13 inches ^
| |
Black
| 20+ years
(36 years max)
| 24 inches
| 10 years male
11 years female
6-7 years^ (CA)
|
14-16 inches (CA)^
| half reach maturity at 18 inches and at 9-13 years in AK
|
Black and Yellow
| 21 years
| 15 inches
| 3-4 years
| 5 inches
| |
Blackgill
| | 24 inches
| 7-8 years^
| 14 inches^
| |
Blue
| 24 years
| 21 inches
| 8-9 years
| 12 inches
| |
Bocaccio
| 36 years
| 36 inches (3 feet)
| 8 years
| 18 inches (CA)
24" (further north)
| |
Calico
| 11 years
| 8 inches
| 4 years
| 3-4 inches
| |
Canary
| 75 years
| 30 inch
| 13 years
| 23 inches
| |
Chilipepper
| at least 16 years
| 22 inches
| 4-5 years
| 12 -13 inches
| |
China Rockfish
| | 17 inches
| | 12 inches
11 inches ^
| |
Copper
| 55 years
| 22 inches
| 8 years
| 16 inches
| 3 year old is 9 -11"
|
Cowcod
(Cow Rockfish)
| at least 25 years
| 37 inches
| | 22 inches
(17 inches ^)
| one of largest rockfish in world
|
Darkblotched
| 66 yrs
| 22 inches
| 5 yr male ^
8 yr female^
| 12 in male^
14 in female^
| |
Flag Rockfish
| | 20 inches
|
| 15 inches
12-13 inches^
| a 16" fish aged at 18 yrs; a 12.5" at 12 yr.
|
Gopher
| 30 years
| | 3-4 years
| 5 inches
| |
Grass
| 20 years
| 22 inches
| | | were important part of Native Am. catch
|
Greenspotted
| | 20 inches
| | 13 inches (S.CA)
15 inches (central to N. CA)
| 10 inch is about 13 yrs old
|
Greenstriped
| 25 years
| 15 inches
| 4-10 years
| 6-10 inches
| |
Harlequin
| 43 years
| | | | |
Kelp
| 15 years
| 17 inches
| 6-7 years
| 12 inches
| |
Longspine Thorynhead
| 40 years
| 15 inches
| | 10-11 inches (90% of fish mature)
| a 12" fish is 25-45 years old
|
Olive
| 25 years
| 24 inches
| 6 years
| 14 inches
| |
Pacific Ocean Perch
| 90 years
| 20 inch
| 4-8 yr^ (Bering Sea)
13-15^ Gulf of AK, 7-9 ^ (WA, B.C)
| 9-11 in^ Bering Sea
14 in^ (WA, B.C.)
| |
Quillback
| at least 32 yrs
| 24 inches (over 20 inches rare)
| 12 years^ (AK)
| 12 inches^ (AK)
9 inches^ (CA)
| |
Redstripe
| 41 year
| 20 inches
| | 7-15 inches !
| |
Rosethron
| | 16 inches
| 7-10 years
| 9-11 inches
| |
Rougheye
| 140 years
| 38 inches
| | 16"male,
19" female^ (B.C )
| |
Sharpchin
| 45 years
| 13 inches
| | 8-10 inches
| |
Shortbelly
| 10 yrs (22 yr max)
| 12 inches
| 3 years^
| 7 years^
| |
Shortraker
| 120 years
| 39 inches (44 lbs)
| | | |
Shortspine Thorynhead
| 62 years (Ak)
100 years (CA)
| 30 inches
| 16 years (AK)
28 years (CA)
(12-13 years^ )
| 10 inches
9 inches ^
| |
Silvergray
| 80 years
| 28 inches
| | 15-20 inches ^
| |
Speckled
| 37 years
| 22 inches
| | | 12" male is 20 yrs
12" female is 12 yrs
|
Splitnose
| 84 yrs
| 18 inches
| 7-10 yr male,
6-9 year female
| 8-12 inch male
7-9 inch female
| |
Squarespot
| at least 19 years
| 11.5 inches (over 10 inches rare)
| 2 years (female)
4 years (male)
| 6 inches
| |
Starry
| 28 years
| 18 inches
| 6-7 yrs^ male
8-9 yrs^ female
| 8 inches^ male
10 inches^ female
| |
Vermillion
| 22 years
| 30 inches
| 5-6 years^
| 14 inches^
| 18" fish is 10 years
|
Widow
| 59 yr***
| 24 inch
| 8-9 years
| 17 inches
| 18" fish is 15 years
|
Yelloweye
| 114 years
| 36 inches
| | 18 inches (CA)
20^ inches (AK)
| 24" fish in Alaska are 40-80 years old
|
Yellowmouth
| 34 years
| 21 inches
| 9 years
| 13" inches
| |
Yellowtail
| 64 years
| 26 inches
| 6 years ^ (CA)
11-15 years^ (AK)
| 14 inches^ (CA)
16-18 inches^ (AK)
| 22" fish is 15 yrs
|
NOTES AND REFERENCES:
* "Maturity" defined to mean size or age where all fish have reaached reproductive age
^ Indicates the size or age when half the population can reproduce
** Lifespan is estimated. Lifespan determination methods for many fish still subject to much uncertainty
*** Love gives lifespan at 59 years old, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 58 years, but Essential Fish Habitat document cites NOAA Invertebrate and Fish Data Atlas as giving maximum age at 28 years and maximum size at 21 inches
Sources:
Love, Milton. 1996. Probably More Than You Want to Know About Fishes of the Pacific Coast. Really Big Press. Santa Barbara, California
Pacific Fishery Management Council. 1999. Groundfish Essential Fish Habitat Amendment. Portland, OR
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