Brown rockfish – Sebastes auriculatus. Other common names for this fish: chocolate bass, brown bass, bolina, and brown bomber.
Identifying Characteristics and Biology
- The brown rockfish have deep bodies with different mottled shades of brown covering them.
- The bellies and the base of the pectoral fins are typically pinkish in color.
- There is a characteristic dark brown spot on their gill covers that other rockfish of the same coloring don’t have, and sometimes fades away as they age.
- They can reach about 22 inches in length and can live to over 30 years in age.
- Males and females both mature from 3 to 10 years of age.
Range and Habitat
- They like the shallow sea bottoms, preferring structures to hang out at like sandy rock formations or oil platforms.
- They cover a wide area ranging from southern Baja all the way to southeast Alaska.
- Brown rockfish feed on other small fish, crustaceans, and invertebrates.
Market Forms
- The brown rockfish are popular to the recreational fishery.
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