Copper Rockfish

Sebastes caurinus

Copper Rockfish

Sebastes caurinus
Other Common Names
Whitebelly rockfish
Other Common Names
Whitebelly rockfish

At the Aquarium

Sandy Coast

Appearance

These fish have variable colors on their backs and sides, including copper, brown, pink, and yellow, but its belly is white. The rear 2/3s of the area around their lateral line is light.

Habitat

Shallow, rocky areas or over rocky-sandy bottoms, artificial reefs and oil platforms, and often associated with reefs or kelp beds.

Diet

Opportunistic carnivores: crustaceans, squid, octopus, fish, and mollusks.

Life History

Give birth once a year, with a 9.4 inch female releasing ~15,000 young, while an 18.5 inch female will release ~640,000 young. Young are just 0.2 inches long at birth, and will drift as plankton until 1.5 inches long. Can live to 55 years and reach 26 inches in length.

IUCN Status

Not Evaluated

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Copper rockfish are eaten by a large variety of predators including other rockfishes, lingcod, cabezon, salmon, and several bird species and marine mammals. Copper rockfish are one of 3 most commonly harvested rockfish species.
Alaska to Baja California, Mexico
Young copper rockfish can be occasionally caught from jetties or piers.
Copper rockfish exhibit homing behavior. In a study where they were displaced from their home reef, they returned home when displaced up to 4 miles away.