splittail bass
Hemanthias peruanus
Schooling badejo of the eastern Pacific, from Mexico to northern Chile. It has a small commercial fishery and almost never appears on sport lines.
Also called: badejo-cauda-fendida, doncella, splittail bass
- maximum
- 45 cm
- depth
- 20–120 m
who is the splittail bass
Fish of the family Anthiadidae, a relative of the garoupa and the badejo, fusiform, reaching 45 cm. It forms schools in coastal waters, in midwater, between 20 and 120 m. In the eastern Pacific it ranges from Baja California to northern Chile, with presence in Central America, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. It feeds on plankton. It has a small commercial fishery and, in sport fishing, is a bycatch.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the splittail bass; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
The third spine of the dorsal fin is the longest and has a well-developed filament. The middle rays of the upper and lower lobes of the caudal fin are the longest. Normally shaped, fusiform body, typical of a schooling midwater fish. It reaches 45 cm.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
From the eastern Pacific, from Baja California (Mexico) to northern Chile, with presence in Central America, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
Habitat: Midwater of coastal waters, in schools, from 20 to 120 m.
rules for the splittail bass
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
No venom and no dangerous spine. Schooling fish: release it carefully and quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01413, b = 3.0; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
—
sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Hemanthias peruanus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Hemanthias peruanusNames by country and language.
