Scientific Name: Sebastes alutus

US Market Names: Ocean Perch

Canada Market Names: Rockfish, Pacific Ocean Perch

Flesh & Flavour: Pacific Ocean Perch flesh is lean - pinkish in colour when raw and offers a firm, flakey texture. The flavour is mild and sweet.

The Rockfish family comprise of a wide variety of species – though when cooked – it is difficult to differentiate between the varieties. In general - Rockfish living at deeper depths tend to be brighter in colour. Pacific Ocean Perch have a light red body and fins with dark-green blotches under their dorsal fin and on the caudal peduncle. This species grows to be about 4.4 pounds.

Pacific Ocean Perch can be found along the continental shelf - most commonly at depths of 82 - 2,700 feet. Ocean Perch are found in the North Pacific Ocean - ranging from Southern California to the Bering Sea - as well as around the Pacific Rim to Northern Honshu, Japan. They are most abundant in northern British Columbia, the Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands.

Rockfish are slow-growing and mature late in life. Consequently - many Rockfish are caught before they have had chance to reproduce and are therefore very vulnerable to overfishing. In 2002 - emergency fishery closures - both commercial and sport - were enacted along the west coast of North America in an effort to give Rockfish populations a chance to recover. Pacific Ocean Perch populations in Alaska are currently very healthy and are rebuilding to sustainable levels off the west coast of the United States.

Fishy Fact: Pacific Ocean Perch is one of the most important commercial Rockfish for the bottom trawl fishery in the Eastern North Pacific Ocean?