Rockfish

It is the name for white-fleshed sea fish of the genus Sebastes that live in the Pacific. It belongs to the same family as Acadian redfish.

Rockfish is a group of white-fleshed Pacific fish in the genus Sebastes, and it is used in a small number of cat foods as a named animal protein. In FDA and EPA mercury advice written for people, rockfish sits in the middle group, labeled Good Choices. Fish is also a common food allergen in cats. If your cat has an allergy or another medical condition, check with your veterinarian.

Source: fda.gov

Rockfish gives cat food a lean animal protein from a named fish. Its mild, white flesh works in recipes built around seafood flavors, and it is sometimes paired with other fish. A named species on the label also helps owners who track exactly which proteins their cat eats, for example during a food trial set up by a veterinarian.

No. Rockfish belong to the genus Sebastes, while true red snapper is a different fish found in the Gulf of Mexico and the western Atlantic. Some Pacific rockfish are sold in stores as Pacific snapper, which is where the mix-up starts. On a cat food label, rockfish or ocean rockfish refers to Sebastes species from the Pacific.

It can be for a cat that has never eaten it, but it is still fish. The Merck Veterinary Manual says a novel protein diet should avoid ingredients the cat has already eaten and also suggests avoiding species similar to ones fed before. A cat raised on salmon or whitefish food may not treat rockfish as a truly new protein. A veterinarian can decide whether it fits a diet trial.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Pettings gives rockfish 5 out of 5 and lists it as a named animal protein. It appears on 1 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. It scores at the top because the label names the fish. Each food's page shows how the whole recipe scores overall.