Unknown Rockfish

I was diving in a new spot today, where all fish rules were turned upside down. Lingcod were white, wolf eels were curled up on rocks like snakes, and I shot a 23" cabezon colored like a black/yellow who was huddled up next to a rock smaller than his head in a wide expanse of sand.

In addition to the funny colored cabs and lings, I saw a few fish that were white with reddish brown blotches. More color towards the head. There were no patterns to the coloring, more like a blue or a kelpie than a black.

Any ideas? My instinct is a kelp rockfish, but the color is off. Kinda like a hybrid between a copper and a kelpy. Come to think of it, I should have taken one just to get a better look.

Sounds like a kelp rockfish but it's hard to say without a picture. Gopher might be another possibility as well. Rockfish do hybridize fairly readily as well so thats a possibility too. Sounds like a crazy day underwater though !

If the simplest answer is the easiest, it was a funny looking gopher....Other than that it was a tigerflagbronzespotted rockfish.

Thanks for the help!

Definitely not a gopher. Hanging out in the water column, and no consistent color patterns. I'm guessing it's an odd colored kelpie. Everything says kelpie other than the color.

I've caught a lot of gophers 20 to 30 feet off the bottom where the blacks and blues hang out.

Thanks for the help!

Definitely not a gopher. Hanging out in the water column, and no consistent color patterns. I'm guessing it's an odd colored kelpie. Everything says kelpie other than the color.

I'd bet kelpy. I've seen some that I thought were coppers at first....then I shot them and realized they were kelpies.

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Thanks for the help!

Definitely not a gopher. Hanging out in the water column, and no consistent color patterns. I'm guessing it's an odd colored kelpie. Everything says kelpie other than the color.

I'd bet kelpy. I've seen some that I thought were coppers at first....then I shot them and realized they were kelpies.

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

It took you 12 hours to respond to a fish ID question?!?! I was about to call Henry 1.....

I did take an easy shot at one on my last dive, just out of curiosity. Somehow it didn't end up on my spear....confusing....

Thanks for the help!

Definitely not a gopher. Hanging out in the water column, and no consistent color patterns. I'm guessing it's an odd colored kelpie. Everything says kelpie other than the color.

I'd bet kelpy. I've seen some that I thought were coppers at first....then I shot them and realized they were kelpies.

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

It took you 12 hours to respond to a fish ID question?!?! I was about to call Henry 1.....

I did take an easy shot at one on my last dive, just out of curiosity. Somehow it didn't end up on my spear....confusing....

LMAO!!

I was in Fresno for work from tuesday through last night...very limited online time and 115 degree heat.

F that place!! 

 

Sincerely,

Jim