Description: The body of the canary rockfish is elongate, moderately deep and compressed. The head is large with an upper profile that is somewhat curved. The color is yellow orange with gray mottling on the back and paler, near white, below. The fins are also yellow orange. The middle of the sides are in a clear, gray zone. There is often a black spot near the back of the first dorsal fin in fish shorter than 14 inches. Although the canary rockfish resembles the vermilion rock fish superficially, the two are easily separated. The underside of the lower jaw of the canary rockfish has no scales and feels smooth to the touch when rubbed from back to front. The vermilion rockfish has scales on the underside of its lower jaw so that it feels rough when rubbed forward.