Yoklavich et al : Habitat associations of deep-water rockfishes 



637 



ities, supports this conclusion. For example, our study 

 site had several abundant, economically important ben- 

 thic species (e.g. O. elongatus, S. chlorostictus, S. levis, 

 S. rosenblatti, S. ruberrimus, S. paucispinis. S. crameri, 

 and S. rufus: Table 2). These species generally dominated 

 the rock, boulder, mud combination habitats in Soquel 

 Canyon. Comparable habitats in Oregon were dominated 

 by less valuable, small benthic rockfish species (e.g. S. 

 zacentrus, S. wilsoni and S. helvomaculatus). The benthic 

 species of highest abundance in the Oregon study were 



all in mud-cobble-boulder combination habitats, and most 

 of these were not economically important. Large species 

 of benthic rockfishes and O. elongatus did not occur in 

 high numbers on Heceta Bank, Oregon. Although nei- 

 ther study estimated the abundance of active, semipe- 

 lagic rockfishes, which generally aggregated above the 

 submersible, commercially valuable species such as S. 

 flavidus and S. entomelas occurred occasionally in high 

 numbers in Soquel Canyon and more commonly over 

 Heceta Bank. 



