What Is an Alaskan Rockfish?

There are more than 30 species of rockfish along Alaska's coastal waters. Although rockfish are part of the Scorpaenidae family and are named for their vehement spines, many species are harmless and would only attack if something or somebody hurt them.

  1. Appearance

    • A distinguishing feature of the Alaskan Rockfish is their bony plates and spines. It is often hard to distinguish one species from another at first glance, though some of the species are brightly colored. Alaskan rockfish have a wide range when it comes to size, the smallest being a mere 5 inches and the biggest a monstrous 41 inches.

    Food

    • Alaskan rockfish have multiple food sources. Common ones include plankton and fish eggs. Larger species feed on other types of fish like sand lance, herring and crustaceans. Some may even eat smaller rockfish.

    Variation among species

    • Alaskan rockfish can be divided into three main ecological groups: the shelf demersal that live near the shore; the shelf pelagic that live near the shore but spend a lot of their time in the upper regions of the water column; and the slope that live in deeper waters.