The Copper rockfish, AKA chucklehead, whitebelly, fighting bob, never dies, northern rockfish, rock cod and the list goes on…
Coppers are hefty, deep bodied, and very spiny. They show a wide variety of splotchy color patterns but you can always count on seeing the lighter colored stripe along the back 2/3 of the lateral line. Coppers from different locations can exhibit drastic differences in over all coloration, from deep red, to brownish yellow, to black.
They are found from Kachemak Bay, Alaska to Punta Banda, Baja California. Adults usually haunt high relief rocky structure and boulder fields, but may also be found over low releif rocky areas intermingling with Tiger, Yelloweye, Brown, Black, Vermillion, and Quillback rockfishes. Maximum length for this species is thought to be around 26 inches. Coppers typically remain in the same immeadiate area for extended periods of time.
