First described as a separate species in 1974, the rough abyssal grenadier was historically confused with its congener, Coryphaenoides armatus.

[1] Unlike C. armatus, which has been recorded in the waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Southern oceans, observations of C. yaquinae have been confined exclusively to the Pacific ocean.

The rough abyssal grenadier is an active benthic forager, with a diet that features a variety of seafloor fauna.

[4][5] Squids, crustaceans, and polychaetes comprise the most consistent sources of prey for C. yaquinae, though stomach content analyses have revealed echinoderms, fish, and food scavenged from carrion.

[5] The availability of these food sources varies, however, as seasonal migrations of pelagic teleosts and changes in the rate of phytodetritus affect the amount of organic matter that reaches the ocean floor.