About Sebastes caurinus Richardson, 1844
Copper rockfish (Sebastes caurinus Richardson, 1844) have highly variable coloration. Their color ranges from dark reddish brown with pale copper blotches along the sides, to lighter pinkish brown with yellowish white mottling on the flanks. Northern and southern populations show distinct color differences: northern individuals are brown or olive, while southern individuals are closer to dull yellow or olive-pink. At one point, these color variations led researchers to classify the forms as two separate species, Sebastes caurinus and Sebastes vexillaris, but it is now confirmed to be a single species. Copper rockfish produce and communicate using sound generated with their swimbladder and associated muscles. These sounds are used in agonistic behaviors, including territory defense. The copper rockfish is a relatively common rockfish of the Pacific coast, with a very wide distribution. It occurs from the northernmost reaches of the Gulf of Alaska, to the Pacific side of the Baja California peninsula, north of Guerrero Negro. It also has a very broad depth distribution, found from subtidal shallows of about 10 meters down to 183 metres (33 to 600 ft). It is a demersal fish that lives in high-relief rocky areas.
