Their color is variable, usually with dark brown or copper blotches arranged in clusters. Male and female lingcod mature at different lengths and ages. During spawning, male and female lingcod gather along rocky reefs affected by wave action or strong tidal currents. After the eggs are deposited and fertilized in nests in crevices along the reefs, the female lingcod disperse to other areas and leave the male lingcod to guard the egg nests until the eggs hatch. It takes from 5 to 11 weeks for eggs to hatch.
Factors influencing egg development include temperature and degree of aeration of the egg masses.
Spawning success of lingcod is highly variable from year to year. After hatching, the larval lingcod are pelagic. As a result, they are at the mercy of the surface current. During this period, the larval lingcod grow rapidly as they feed primarily on copepods and other larval fish. By age 2, the juvenile lingcod begin to use habitats similar to those used by adult lingcod, though in shallower water.