What is "sebastes"

Sebastes is a genus of fish in the family Sebastidae (though some include this in Scorpaenidae), most of which have the common name of rockfish. A few are called ocean perch, sea perch or redfish instead. Most of the Sebastes species live in the north Pacific, although two (Sebastes capensis and Sebastes oculatus) live in the south Pacific/ Atlantic and four (Sebastes fasciatus, Sebastes mentella, Sebastes norvegicus and Sebastes viviparus) live in the north Atlantic. The coast off South California is the area of highest rockfish diversity, with 56 species living in the Southern California Bight.

The fossil record of rockfish goes back to the Miocene, from California and Japan (although fossil otoliths from Belgium, "Sebastes" weileri, may push the record back as far as the Oligocene).

Rockfish are an important sport and commercial fish, and many species have been overfished. As a result, seasons are tightly controlled in many areas. Sebastes are sometimes fraudulently substituted for the more expensive Lutjanus campechanus.