Fish Identification Photos: Copper Rockfish, Sebastes caurinus: The Copper Rockfish is a short, squat cold water species with extensive head spines. It comes in two coloration patterns which initially led the scientific community to believe that there were two distinct species, Sebastes canurinus and Sebastes vexillaris. However, today there is agreement that there is one species with two color variations with precedence being given to Sebastes caurinus.

The first coloration pattern of the Copper Rockfish is brown over a white body with a prominent dark band, a yellow boarder that runs from the eye to the pectoral fins, a yellow band that runs from the eyes to the top of the gill covers, and another smaller band that runs below the eye.

The second color variation of the Copper Rockfish is a copper red-brown over a white body (as pictured below) with the same bands present but without yellow stripes.

Both coloration patterns have a whitish stripe that runs along the top and bottom of the rear half of the lateral line that is a key to species identification. The upper head profile is straight with a long pointed snout, a projecting lower jaw, and rather large mouth with fleshy lips. The caudal fin is straight and the lateral line is straight but faint. All of the fins are pale. The Copper Rockfish is easily confused with several other rockfishes. However, the bars around the eyes and the whitish stripe along the lateral line at the rear of the body make identification straightforward.

The Copper Rockfish is one of the more abundant members of the Scorpaenidae or Rockcod, Rockfish and Rosefish Family which includes the genus Sebastes which are the rockcods, rockfishes, and rosefishes.

The Copper Rockfish reaches a maximum length of 22 inches, but is most common between 10 and 16 inches. It weighs between 1 and 2 pounds. It is a solitary, sedimentary fish found up to 600 feet deep in the water column over rocky reefs. The Copper Rockfish has a limited distribution in Mexican waters being found only along the Pacific side of the Baja California peninsula north of Guerrero Negro. The Copper Rockfish is a nocturnal opportunistic carnivore feeding on small fishes, crabs, octopuses and squid. The Copper Rockfish is viewed as excellent table fare sought after by both the recreational angler and the commercial fishermen. Note: the roe have been reported to be highly toxic and not to be consumed by humans.

Copper Rockfish, Sebastes caurinus: Caught on a Krocodile spoon at Isla San Martin, San Quintin, Baja California, Mexico, 2003, by Julio Meza. Photo courtesy Julio Meza. Fish I.D. courtesy Dr. Milton Love, U.C. Santa Barbara.