As Deacons share characterisitics of both Blue and Black Rockfish, I recorded them as Blue/Black Hybrids until 2015 when they were officially described by the scientific community.

Species: Deacon Rockfish (Sebastes diaconus)
Location: Off the coast of Brookings-Harbor, OR
Date: September 14, 2011

My last entry featured a Red Irish Lord. I noted this was the last “new species” I’d recorded in my paper fishing journals, and as of the time those journals were written, that was true.

But as of August 27, 2015, the day after my 25th Birthday, I received a surprise gift in the form of science validating a new species I’d first caught four years earlier.

***

Flash back to 2011.

I knew something was up. This fish was different. I’d learned to tell the difference between Black and Blue Rockfish, but this one featured characteristics of both fish.

Though my first instinct was “Blue Rockfish,” it didn’t add up.

First, the color was wrong. The body was neither blue nor slightly mottled as in all of the Blues I’d previously caught. Its coloration was dark brown/gray, just like a Black Rockfish.

Black 1, Blue 0.

Second, the head was wrong for a Black. It was striped like a Blue. Only the stripes were very faint.

Black 1, Blue 1.

Third, the fins were blue. At least, the ends of the pelvic and pectoral fins were.

Blue 2, Black 1.

Fourth, but then again, with the mouth closed, a Blue’s jaws should be even, and the bottom jaw of this fish was victim of the underbite found in Blacks.

Black 2, Blue 2.

It was tied, but the deckhand told me it was just a variant of Blue Rockfish. I wasn’t convinced and recorded it as a “Black/Blue Rockfish Hybrid” in my journals. I caught three more in the time it took for them to be identified as their own, unique species, recording each one as “Black/Blue Rockfish Hybrid” in my increasingly digital records.

That wasn’t the first time my identification had been corrected, resulting in a new species, but it remains the only time a species I’d already caught became a species new to science.

***

In the Fall of 2017, I got a Deacon just over two pounds with Tidewinds Sportfishing, thanks to Captain Levi Schlect that will be a world record if I submit it. I saved the line sample, had multiple pictures and witnesses, but I just don’t know if a Deacon of that size is worth the hassle for a record?

Update 2019: I lost the line sample. I’d set it aside with some old fishing gear and threw it away. Guess I’ll have to catch another one…

***

I rewrote this story later for a column. Read it here.

#SpeciesQuest // #CaughtOvgard

Read the next entry in #SpeciesQuest here: Species #40 — Striped Seaperch.

 

Luke Ovgard Saltwater Fishing, SpeciesQuest, Surf Fishing , , , , , , , , , , , ,

42 Replies

  4. Howdy! I simply want to give a huge thumbs up for the good information you’ve gotten right here on this post. I might be coming again to your weblog for more soon.

  12. I got what you mean , appreciate it for putting up.Woh I am lucky to find this website through google.

  13. Thank you for your sharing. I am worried that I lack creative ideas. It is your article that makes me full of hope. Thank you. But, I have a question, can you help me?

  19. Hey! This is my 1st comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and tell you I really enjoy reading your blog posts. Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that cover the same subjects? Thanks for your time!

  21. Heya i’m for the first time here. I came across this board and I find It really helpful & it helped me out much. I’m hoping to provide one thing again and aid others like you helped me.

  22. It’s in point of fact a great and useful piece of info. I’m satisfied that you simply shared this helpful info with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.

  24. I have been absent for a while, but now I remember why I used to love this blog. Thanks, I’ll try and check back more frequently. How frequently you update your web site?

  30. Hi, i think that i saw you visited my web site thus i came to “return the favor”.I’m attempting to find things to improve my site!I suppose its ok to use a few of your ideas!!

  36. My developer is trying to persuade me to move to .net from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the costs. But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using WordPress on a variety of websites for about a year and am nervous about switching to another platform. I have heard good things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can transfer all my wordpress content into it? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

  39. Hey there I am so glad I found your weblog, I really found you by error, while I was browsing on Yahoo for something else, Nonetheless I am here now and would just like to say kudos for a marvelous post and a all round interesting blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to look over it all at the minute but I have book-marked it and also added your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read more, Please do keep up the superb work.

  41. Howdy! Would you mind if I share your blog with my myspace group? There’s a lot of people that I think would really appreciate your content. Please let me know. Thank you

  42. Hi! Do you know if they make any plugins to help with Search Engine Optimization? I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good gains. If you know of any please share. Appreciate it!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Species #38 — Red Irish Lord
Species #41 — Rock Greenling