"Pulled a blackbelly rosefish up from 500 feet, big night - vision eyes and a gut black as tar; mind those dorsal spines or you'll remember it all week." - Ray Deluca
Quick Facts
Average Size
10–13 inches
0.7–1.3 lbs
World Record
Habitat
Rocky Reefs And Continental Shelves
Best Techniques
Bottom Fishing With Steady Bait
Best Baits
Small Fish And Crustaceans Baits
Challenge Score
Savage: 55
< Explore This Species >
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🔥The jet‑black stomach lining hides glowing prey, so nothing tattles on its dinner from the inside.
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02Venom glands on dorsal, anal, and pelvic spines deliver a wasp‑grade sting to careless hands.
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03Otolith rings show some hit 43 years-ancient status for something that fits a dinner plate.
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04That blazing red turns invisible black at depth, because red wavelengths vanish first underwater.
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05They extrude buoyant, gelatinous egg curtains-transparent lasagna sheets loaded with thousands of eggs.
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06Reel them fast from the deep and a pink stomach balloon often pops into view.
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07Pectoral fins splay like landing gear, letting them park on rough bottom without scraping their belly.
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08The skull bristles with wicked head spines, turning a grip into a porcupine handshake.
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09Despite modest size, they shrug off pressures past 3,600 feet-over 110 atmospheres-then hammer small jigs.
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10The name dactylopterus teases "finger‑winged," but those "wings" are just beefy, splayed pectorals.
Learn Real Facts — Choose Your Vibe
How Big Do Black Belly Rose Fish Get?
Common Catch
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Trophy Fish
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World Record
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Length
Small
Weight
Small
Top Fisheries for Black Belly Rose Fish
Best places to catch Black Belly Rose Fish and how far they are from you.
From iconic trophy waters to bucket-list destinations, these are some of the best places on the planet to target Black Belly Rose Fish.
New York/New Jersey
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Miles
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Wilmington Canyon
Delaware
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Miles
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Norfolk Canyon
Virginia
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Miles
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Setúbal Canyon
Portugal
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Miles
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Azores Seamounts
Portugal
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Miles
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Seasonality Chart
Best months to catch Black Belly Rose Fish: Jul, Aug
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Black Belly Rose Fish Intelligence
Fishing Window
Great
Target Now
Season Score
71/100
Trend
Declining
Peak Season In
10 Months
Difficulty Meter
55
Savage
Demands Skill
Feeding Triggers
Time of Day
Very High
Temperature
High
Current
High
Weather
High
Most Important:
Time of Day
Behavior
Black Belly Rose Fish
Behavior
Behavior Profile Radar
Strike
Black Belly Rose Fish
Strike
Strike Profile Radar
Positioning
Black Belly Rose Fish
Positioning
Positioning Radar
Fight
Black Belly Rose Fish
Fight
Fight Radar
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Where to Find Black Belly Rose Fish
Preferred Structure
Wood
Rock
Weeds
Undercuts
Depth Breaks
Water Column
Surface
Mid
Bottom
Cover vs Roam
Cover
Roam
Gear Loadout for Black Belly Rose Fish
A reliable starting setup for targeting Black Belly Rose Fish, based on typical size, habitat, and presentation style.
Core Setup
- ROD 6'6" heavy conventional deep-drop rod, 50 to 100 lb class
- REEL 30 to 50 class two-speed conventional or 750 to 1000 size electric reel
- LINE 50 to 80 lb braid
- LEADER 40 to 60 lb mono or fluoro, 6 to 10 ft, 30 to 40 lb droppers on multi-hook rig
Lures & Baits
- squid strips
- mackerel or sardine chunks
- cuttlefish
- 200 to 500 g glow metal jigs
- deep-drop rigs with 3/0 to 5/0 circle hooks
Tactical Notes
- target 200 to 600 m rocky slopes and canyon edges
- use 1 to 3 lb sinkers to hold bottom
- keep baits just off bottom to reduce snags
- slow drift or hover over marks
- handle spines carefully






