Sebastes cheni was first formally described in 1988 by the Soviet zoologist Vladimir Viktorovich Barsukov with the type locality given as Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture in Japan.

[1] This taxon has been regarded as a colour morph of S. inermis in the past and alongside S. ventricosus, these three taxa form a species complex.

It occurs as far north as the Iwate and Akita Preferctures south to Kyushu in Japan and off the southern part of the Korean Peninsula.

[4] The juveniles swim and feed in schools in the daytime but at night they form rather loose aggregations and they youngest suffer the highest predation.

[5] Sea perch are very popular seawater game fish highly prized especially by fishermen, because they generally put up a good fight when caught with a hook and line.