Brown rockfish

The brown rockfish (Sebastes auriculatus), whose other names include brown seaperch, chocolate bass, brown bass and brown bomber, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the subfamily Sebastinae, the rockfishes, part of the family Scorpaenidae. It is found in the northeastern Pacific Ocean.

Distribution

The brown rockfish is native to the northeastern Pacific. Its range extends from 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. The brown rockfish occurs at depths from the intertidal zone down to 287 m (942 ft) and prefer areas with rocky patches or hard substrates, inhabiting areas which vary in relief from low to high. They also frequently occur around artificial structures and objects such as piers and other man-made objects, like marine debris, such as tires. Adults are primarily found in deeper waters, while juveniles inhabit shallower areas.