Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Question: California’s official state marine fish is a bright orange fish that lives among the rocky reefs and kelp forests off the Southern California coast. What is it?

Answer: The Garibaldi. This brilliant orange fish lives in the Pacific Ocean from Monterey Bay south to Baja California. Adults grow to about 14 inches long and live among rocks and reefs in waters up to 100 feet deep. To protect the species from commercial collectors, California named the garibaldi its state marine fish and banned its collection or possession.