The China rockfish was first formally described in 1854 by the American zoologist William Orville Ayres with the type locality given as Santa Barbara and Monterey, California.

[4] The specific name nebulosus means "cloudy" a reference to the yellow body mottled with dark brown.

[1] The china rockfish is a solitary and territorial species and if alarmed they will quickly take shelter in a cavity or crevice in the reef.

[10] The spines in the dorsal and anal fins are mildly venomous[1] but are also used to wedge the fish in narrow hiding spaces in the reef.

[8] The China rockfish is a sedentary species and studies have shown they rarely move more than 10 m (33 ft) from their preferred shelter.

The predators of the juveniles are sea birds, porpoises, and other fishes, including rockfishes, lingcod, cabezon and salmon.

The adults are preyed on by sharks, dolphins, seals, lingcod, and possibly North American river otters (Lontra canadensis).