New fishy at Les Davis

[Dusty2]

At least it's new for me and doubly surprising to find it at Les. Juvenile Yelloweye Rockfish . It was a really shy little critter and not at all interested in posing. Been looking for one of these little guys for a long time.

[Huskychemist]

Very cool find!

[nwscubamom]

That is awesome!!!!!

[John Rawlings]

Uber cool! I have not heard of them being seen that far south.

[LCF]

Very cool find! I've seen two, but one was at the Possession Point fingers, and the other was up in Canada. That red and white coloration certainly grabs your eye!

[WylerBear]

Very cool! How deep were you?

[Dusty2]

We were around a 3rd to maybe 1/2 way down the blocks so maybe 50 to 60? Dumb me! I didn't look. ](*,) I was too excited and focused on getting the shot to pay attention to depth but I bet I could find the spot again. I went back 3 or 4 times to see if I could catch him out in the open again.

Sorry you didn't find him. But then I didn't find the wolfie either.

[Chevayea]

Wow, that's really great news. I haven't heard of them this far south in the sound either. No one has posted a photo of one from the sound on our site at least so this is very exciting! I hope that means there are more to come!!!

[John Rawlings]

Like Lynne, (LCF), I have seen them over the years on occasion on the Possession Fingers. I once saw one, one time only even though I went back the very next day with my camera and couldn't find it, at the Mukilteo clay walls, (lower wall). However, I have most often seen them in the past at 100 Foot Rock by Meadowdale. They have always been isolated individuals hiding in the cleft between the rock and the mud/shell bottom at the rock's base toward the West.

Being an optimistic kinda guy, I'm thinking that finding one as far south as les Davis is a very good sign!

- John

[Tom Nic]

Being an optimistic kinda guy, I'm thinking that finding one as far south as les Davis is a very good sign!

- John

I've heard that there are humoungous ones deep, and that their populations have been decimated.

So, back in the day, (100 years ago?) would they have been as common in the areas that we dive as say, Copper's or Browns? Harvesting these guys was outlawed because of slow reproduction rate? Anybody have any info abt that residing in your memory banks?

Or I could just stop being lazy and go look it up...

[John Rawlings]

Yes, they are a deep water, non-schooling species. I've only seen adult Yelloweye Rockfishes underwater as isolated individuals, never even seeing so much as two together. The adults can get HUGE and are a beautiful bright orange in color.

I remember as a kid fishing in the Sound with my Dad and pulling in some of these. They've never really been plentiful, even back in "the day", but they were prized as a "good eatin" fish. Local fishermen incorrectly called them "Red Snappers", and because they were so prized they were overfished. Additionally, like many Rockfish species they do not breed until they are around a decade old.

It is a good thing that fishing for this species is closed because amongst Puget Sound Rockfish species this is one whose numbers are truly within the category of "slim". The trouble is, however, that when brought to the surface on hook and line from the depths at which they live their swim bladder expands beyond redemption. Even when released back into the water by a law-abiding fisherman the fish will usually quickly die from the damage.

- John

[nwscubamom]

The trouble is, however, that when brought to the surface on hook and line from the depths at which they live their swim bladder expands beyond redemption.

Like this....(that's their guts extruding from their mouth...how that's supposed to look appetizing is beyond me):


Found these babies at the Pike Place Market...dunno where they came from. Maybe Alaska?


I've had the pleasure of seeing quite a few juvie Yelloweyes in various stages of growth (usually up in BC), starting from pretty young (notice the real dark areas):


(losing the dark, and much more red)


(losing white stripes, turning more orange)


(adult - notice the bright yellow eye! Oregon Coast Aquarium)


(one of my favorite shots - been published in a Portland magazine too - again, Oregon Coast Aquarium. That's the only place I've been nose-to-nose with an adult, was diving in the exhibits there)


And then there's always this lovely specimen. For your viewing "pleasure" at the Rockfish Grill in Anacortes. Makes me upset when I see it. Over 100 years old...and you can see it was pregnant too. Nice, eh?


And to add to what John has already said - this species isn't mature until they reach about 22 years old!! And, to top it off, they won't breed every year even. Conditions have to be right. So, that's how we got where we are now...overfishing has nuked this one bigtime.

Milton Love's rockfish book says they are "extremely rare" in Puget Sound - so this is an ultra cool find, Rich!

- Janna

[Sounder]

Great find! I've never seen one of these but I'm encouraged that it was seen so far south!

[Zen Diver]

I've seen them twice at the Edmonds Oil Docks, but several years back now. Nice to see 'em in the south.

-Valerie

[Biodiversity_Guy]

That is so awesome to see a youngster at Les Davis! Great pictures.

Reproduction in South Puget Sound. Hope for the future!!! :smt038 :smt038 :smt038

If I am not mistaken, the NMFS just proposed today to list the South Puget Sound population as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act. http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/sanjuans/js ... 37187.html

[smike]

I didn't know what they were, but I saw 5 or 6 juveniles each time I dove 100' rock last summer, in the clay walls next to the rock. Now that I have a camera I would like to go back to find them. Real pretty fishes, but they are fast and don't let you get very close to them.

Mike

[John Rawlings]

Yeah....for some reason 100 Foot Rock has always seemed to be a good site to spot the juveniles of this species.