Tiger rockfish and sponge
A tiger rockfish perches itself in a crevice between two boulders at 92 meters water depth. The yellow material in the upper portion of the image is a large sponge. The tiger rockfish (Sebastes nigrocinctus), also called tiger seaperch, banded rockfish and black-banded rockfish, is a fish found in rocky reefs and boulder fields.
It is found in the northeast Pacific Ocean off Kodiak Island, and from Prince William Sound, Alaska, south to Point Buchon, central California. This species of fish is territorial, and somewhat aggressive in certain cases. The fish lurks between crevices in rocks, and coral reefs.
Scientists have dated some fish to be up to 166 years old.
It is very vulnerable, with a minimum population doubling time of 14 years.
The tiger rockfish reaches a maximum length of 24 in (61 cm). It is orange or light red with several broad, dark bars along the body.
