Caught off the Washington coast by commercial harvesters using otter-trawls and longline gear.
Description and Range
Physical description
The body of the yellowmouth rockfish is red mixed with yellow to orange (mixed with black in smaller fish), and has dark mottling. There is a thin pink-red strip along the lateral line and 3 dark bands across the head. The mouth is pinkish white with yellow and black blotches. It has a long lower jaw with a moderate to small symphyseal knob. After capture, yellowmouth are often confused with Pacific Ocean perch (POP). POP have a prominent, forward facing symphyseal knob on their lower jaw, compared to a small one in yellowmouth, and have no pink-red stripe along the lateral line. The inside of the mouth of a POP is grey.
Yellowmouth rockfish can grow up to 58 cm (23 in) in length. Maximum age is at least 99 years old.
Geographic range
Yellowmouth rockfish range from the northern Gulf of Alaska to San Francisco, California. They have been found at water depths of 100 to 431 m (330-1,422 ft), and are most common from about 180 to 275 m (594-908 ft) in depth. Adults aggregate in mid-water over high-relief rocks.
Regulations
Rules and seasons
Recreational harvest within Puget Sound has been closed.