Rockfish 101 - Brown Rockfish

In my contiuning series on the rockfish species of the Pacific Northwest today we look at the Brown Rockfish (Sebastes auriculatus). This fish is also know by several other names depending on what part of the Pacific you might be hanging out in. Brown Seaperch, Chocolate Bass, or Brown Bass.

As the name suggests the Brown Rockfish has a body colored in various shades of brown. In this species, the background colour is overlaid with dark-brown, red-brown, or blackish mottling. The rear area of the gill cover has a prominent dark patch which probably inspired its Latin name auriculatus, meaning "eared". Stripes of red-brown, brown, or orange radiate back from the upper jaw and eyes.

Brown Rockfish can often resemble there cousins the Copper Rockfish, but the latter lack the dark patch on their gill cover and have lighter areas along their lateral line. The brown rockfish may also be confused with the Vermillion rockfish in deep water due to their colouration.

Copper Rockfish

Vermilion Rockfish

The brown rockfish can grow to about 56 cm (22.0 in) in length, with the females being potentially larger than the males. Both sexes have similar growth rates and life spans, and are known to live to at least 34 years of age, which is quite short lived within the rockfish family.

Native to the northeastern Pacific. Its range extends from Bahia San Hipolito in southern Baja California to Prince William Sound in the northern Gulf of Alaska. These fish are most abundant in the central and southern parts of Puget Sound and from southern Baja California to Bodega Bay in northern California.

Of all the rock fish species I've encountered Brown Rockfish are one of the easiest to photograph. Typically resting on pieces of shipwrecks, rocks or sand these fish do not scare easily and can be approached to set up some very nice images.

Juvenile Brown Rockfish

Thanks for reading.

Scott

For more stories and rock fish pictures - http://www.scottstevensonphotography.ca/