Copper Rockfish

Sebastes caurinus

Copper rockfish are found along the West coast of North America, from California to Alaska. Their habitat ranges from the subtidal zone to waters as deep as several hundred feet. While young copper rockfish suspend in kelp forests, large adults are usually found on the bottom. They exclusively live in waters where rocks are found, almost never on sandy bottoms. Copper rockfish feed on small fish, but they are also preyed on by lingcod and even marine mammals. Because of their aggressive feeding behaviours, copper rockfish are pretty easy to catch by simply bottom fishing with a jig or baited hook. Like other rockfish species, they are long living and slow growing so overfishing can become a problem in areas where fishing pressure is high.