The Acadian redfish (''Sebastes fasciatus''), also known as the Atlantic redfish, Acadian rockfish, or Labrador redfish, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of marine

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or h ...

belonging to the subfamily

Sebastinae Sebastinae is a subfamily of marine fish belonging to the family Scorpaenidae in the order Scorpaeniformes. Their common names include rockfishes, rock perches, ocean perches, sea perches, thornyheads, scorpionfishes, sea ruffes and rockcods. De ...

, the rockfishes, part of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Scorpaenidae. It is native to the deep waters of the northwestern Atlantic.

Taxonomy

The Acadian redfish was first formally described in 1854 by the American

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

and

zoologist Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and d ...

David Humphreys Storer David Humphreys Storer (March 26, 1804—September 10, 1891) was an American physician and naturalist. He served as dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Harvard Medical School from 1855–1864, and published on the reptiles and fishes of New Englan ...

with the type locality given as the harbor at

Provincetown, Massachusetts Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, in the United States. A small coastal resort town with a year-round population of 3,664 as of the 2020 United States Census, Province ...

. The Acadian redfish has been known to hybridise with the beaked redfish (''S. mentella''). This species is classified within the subgenus ''Sebastes'' by some authorities. The specific name ''fasciatus'' means "banded", an allusion to the four clear bands on the flanks.

Description

The Acadian redfish is colored reddish-orange and can live up to 50 years or more and reach lengths up to .Acadian redfish
, Maine Dept. of Marine Resources. It is very similar in appearance to the deepwater redfish ('' S. mentella''). The two species can be distinguished by the number of soft rays in the anal fin, internal examination of the gas bladder, or by genetic testing.

Distribution and habitat

The Acadian redfish is native to the waters of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean and its range extends from Virginia, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Nova Scotia, western Greenland and Iceland. It is found at depths varying between . It swims near the seabed in areas with clay-silt or rocky bottoms.

Biology

The Acadian redfish feeds on a variety of crustaceans, mollusks, and smaller fish. It spawns in the fall to late winter. The species is

ovoviviparous Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a term used as a "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparous and live-bearing viviparous reproduction. Ovoviviparous animals possess embryos that develop insi ...

, and females release 15,000–20,000 fully formed larvae into the water per season.Ralph K. Mayo, Jon K. T. Brodziak, John M. Burnett, Michele L. Traver, and Laurel A. Col,
The 2005 Assessment of Acadian Redfish, ''Sebastes fasciatus'' Storer, in the Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank Region
" Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document 07-06, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce (April, 2007). The Acadian redfish is preyed on by the

halibut Halibut is the common name for three flatfish in the genera '' Hippoglossus'' and '' Reinhardtius'' from the family of right-eye flounders and, in some regions, and less commonly, other species of large flatfish. The word is derived from ''h ...

, the

Atlantic cod The Atlantic cod (''Gadus morhua'') is a benthopelagic fish of the family Gadidae, widely consumed by humans. It is also commercially known as cod or codling.swordfishes and

harbor seal The harbor (or harbour) seal (''Phoca vitulina''), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared se ...

Conservation

Due to its slow growth rate, low fecundity, harmless nature, tendency to "hit almost any bait", and being considered a great food fish, the Acadian redfish was classified as

Endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...

by the IUCN in 1996. However, due to conservation efforts, the redfish population has rebounded, and in 2012 the species was described as fully rebuilt, sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.NOAA - FishWatch: Acadian Redfish
Retrieved 20 February 2013.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2244964 Sebastes Fish described in 1854 Taxa named by David Humphreys Storer