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.
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.
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