Copper Rockfish

Photo: KJ · CC BY-NC

Copper rockfish school in large numbers around the sunken vessels and rocky reef structure at Porteau, their orange-copper colouring distinctive against the green kelp. Rockfish are extraordinarily long-lived — copper rockfish can live for more than 50 years — and the protected status of Porteau Cove has allowed populations to rebuild to healthy levels. They are viviparous, giving birth to live larvae rather than broadcasting eggs, and females of large size have disproportionately high reproductive output.