They are streamlined fish with almost no head spines. Distribution, Stock Structure and Migration. They are common from about Cape Mendocino to Santa Barbara and around the northern Channel Islands from surface waters to about 396 ft. Tagging studies have found that olive rockfish move relatively little, ranging from less than one mile. This species has been variously described as transient or residential.
Females grow larger, and, beginning at maturation, tend to be longer at a given age.
The maximum reported length of olive rockfish is 24 inches. This is one of the fastest-growing nearshore rockfishes. Based on whole otoliths, a 10-in. TL fish is approximately 10 yr old, and an 18-in. Reproduction, Fecundity and Seasonality Throughout California, males mature at a somewhat smaller size and a slightly greater age than females, however the difference is not large.