The ocean whitefish has a sturdy, quadrangular body with a relatively deep head which has a steep profile and a small mouth extending to the front of the eye.

[1] It prefers warmer waters and is commonest on the banks and offshore islands of the coast of California, from Point Conception in Santa Barbara County south to Baja California in Mexico.

[2] This species has an extended spawning season which runs from the late autumn into early spring.

It is a predatory fish which has a diet comprising crabs, shrimp, large krill, squid, anchovies, and lanternfish.

[5] The ocean whitefish was first formally described in 1840 as Latilus princeps by the English naturalist Leonard Jenyns (1800–1893).

[8] The ocean whitefish is caught as bycatch off California by the groundfish fishery using hook and line.