damsel bass
Hemanthias signifer
Badejo of the eastern Pacific bottom, living in waters of 23 to 306 m. It has a minor commercial fishery and is almost never caught on a rod.
Also called: badejo-donzela, cabrilla doncella, damsel bass
- maximum
- 42 cm
- record/max.
- 0.7 kg
- depth
- 23–306 m
who is the damsel bass
Fish of the family Anthiadidae, a relative of the garoupa and the badejo, fusiform, reaching 42 cm. It lives near the bottom, in deep waters from 23 to 306 m, and probably forms schools. In the eastern Pacific, it ranges from southern California to Peru, with presence in Central America, Colombia and Ecuador. It has a minor commercial fishery, with some importance only where it is abundant, and it is not usually a sport-fishing target.
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 damsel bass; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Fusiform body of normal shape, of a bottom fish, reaching 42 cm. It lives near the bottom, in deep water, from 23 to 306 m. It has a sharp spine on the lower edge of the urohyal bone, inside the throat, which can only be seen with the fish opened. With the naked eye it is hard to separate from the forked-tail badejo: depth and habit help, since the other swims in schools in midwater, between 20 and 120 m.
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
In the eastern Pacific, from southern California to Peru, with presence in Central America, Colombia and Ecuador.
Habitat: Near the bottom, in deep waters from 23 to 306 m.
rules for the damsel 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 for the angler. If it comes from depth, its swim bladder can swell with rapid ascent, causing barotrauma; release it carefully.
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 signifer (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 signiferNames by country and language.
