Copper rockfish
(photo by N. Brown, SeaDoc Society)

Rockfish populations have shown a long, steady decline in many parts of Washington and British Columbia, due mainly to over fishing and habitat disturbance coupled with low and patchy recruitment. Thirteen out of 36 local species are candidates for listing by Washington state.

Black (Sebastes melanops)
Bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis)
Brown (Sebastes auriculatus)
Canary (Sebastes pinniger)
China (Sebastes nebulosus)
Copper (Sebastes caurinus)
Greenstriped (Sebastes elongatus)
Quillback (Sebastes maliger)
Redstripe (Sebastes proriger)
Tiger (Sebastes nigrocinctus)
Widow (Sebastes entomelas)
Yelloweye (Sebastes ruberrimus)
Yellowtail (Sebastes flavidus)