Frable et al: A new species of Sebastes 
367 
Figure 8 
Photographs of live (A) Sebastes diaconus (deacon rockfish) and (B) S. mystinus (blue rockfish) in the Oregon 
Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon. 
lighter in large specimens; stomach and other internal 
organs pale beige to grayish. 
Coloration of preserved specimens (Fig. 1C) Shortly 
after death and during the process of preservation, 
trunk color becomes dull, dark gray to brown and the 
speckling pattern becomes less apparent; ventrum light 
brown to cream. Dorsal cranial bands fade and become 
indistinct, and 2 bands below orbit fade in color to 
match rest of body. 
Etymology 
Sebastes diaconus is derived from the Latinized ancient 
Greek Siockovcx;, the name for an acolyte or assistant to 
a priest. This name complements the species name of 
S. mystinus, which was intended to mean “priest” (Jor- 
dan and Evermann, 1898). This name highlights the 
similarity between the 2 species and the previous lack 
of differentiation. 
Distribution 
Sebastes diaconus is distributed from Vancouver Is- 
land in British Columbia to a southernmost record 
in Morro Bay, California (between 35°N and 48°N). 
All specimens with records of their collection depths 
were taken at depths of 8-50 m. The holotype and 
paratypes were collected from the Pacific Ocean off 
the coast of central Oregon (Fig. 9). Very little mate- 
rial was available from British Columbia and Alaska; 
therefore, the northern extent of the range remains 
unclear (Fig. 9). One poorly preserved specimen, 
USNM 54440, collected during an Albatross survey in 
1897 off Killisnoo Island in southeastern Alaska may 
be a specimen of S. diaconus. However, it could also 
represent S. ciliatus and is excluded from the type 
and examined material. All other putative specimens 
of S. mystinus from Alaska that we examined had 
been misidentified and are mostly S. ciliatus. On the 
basis of this and previous work (Cope, 2004; Burford 
and Bernardi, 2008; Burford, 2009), S. diaconus ap- 
pears to be much more abundant at latitudes higher 
than northern California. 
Sebastes mystinus (Jordan and Gilbert, 1881) 
English common name: blue rockfish 
Figures 1, B and D, 2-6, 7B, 8B, 9, 10, and 1 1; 
Tables 1-3. 
Sebastes variabilis (Pallas, 1814): Ayres, 1854:7 (speci- 
mens from California considered similar to but like- 
ly not that described in Pallas [1814]); Jordan and 
Gilbert, 1881:70. 
Sebastichthys melanops (Girard, 1856): Jordan and Gil- 
bert, 1880b:289. 
Sebastodes melanops (Girard, 1856): Ayres, 1862:216 
(in part, (not in fig. 66, but elsewhere in description); 
Jordan and Gilbert, 1881:70. 
Sebastichthys mystinus Jordan and Gilbert, 1881 (for 
1880b):455 (type localities: San Francisco and Mon- 
terey, California; described from 11 specimens). 
Sebastodes mystinus (Jordan and Gilbert, 1881): Jor- 
dan and Gilbert (1882):659 (new combination). 
Primospina mystinus (Jordan and Gilbert, 1881): Ei- 
genmann and Beeson, 1893:669 (new combination). 
Sebastosomus mystinus (Jordan and Gilbert, 1881): 
Jordan and J. Z. Gilbert, 1919:51 (new combination); 
Jordan and J. Z. Gilbert, 1920:32 (with mention 
that Jordan was inclined to elevate subgenus, but 
unclear if this decision was published); Jordan et ah, 
1930:365 (last reference to combination). 
