Skip to content
EN
PT PortuguêsES EspañolEN English
catalog Latilidae · predator

atlantic goldeneye tilefish

Caulolatilus chrysops

Sea

A bottom fish of gravel on the slope, with a yellow band from the eye to the snout and a golden iris. Caught in deep bottom fishing; the meat is not highly prized.

Also called: batata-de-olho-dourado, goldface tilefish, Atlantic goldeneye tilefish

forecast for atlantic goldeneye tilefish where found
Scientific illustration of Atlantic goldeneye tilefish
common size
35–50 cm
maximum
60 cm
common weight
0.5–1.4 kg
record/max.
2.4 kg
depth
76–244 m
ideal water
15–22 °C
overview

who is the atlantic goldeneye tilefish

The batata-de-olho-dourado (goldface tilefish) is a tilefish (family Latilidae), a bottom fish of the western Atlantic, from North Carolina and the Gulf of Mexico to the Antilles and the Brazilian coast. It lives from 76 to 244 m on gravel and shell-fragment bottoms. It eats mainly crustaceans and other invertebrates and sometimes small fish. FishBase lists it as a commercial and sport fish but says its meat is not prized; in Brazil it is also traded for the aquarium trade. It reaches 60 cm, with a common length of 44 cm.

fun facts

  • It has two English names: goldface tilefish and Atlantic goldeneye tilefish.
  • According to FishBase, it is traded for aquariums in Ceará.
  • FishBase records the species from 35°N to 24°S.
how to recognize it

identification

Robust body, four-sided in cross-section, with a deep head and a fleshy crest in front of the dorsal fin. Violet with a yellowish back, silver flanks and a pearly white belly. A broad yellow band runs from below the eye toward the snout, with a blue line beneath it; golden iris. Dorsal and anal fins long and continuous. It differs from the peixe-batata (Lopholatilus villarii) by its much smaller size and the yellow band on the face.

how atlantic goldeneye tilefish fishing looks

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.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

In Brazil, FishBase cites Rio de Janeiro, Paraná and São Paulo and the aquarium trade in Ceará; collection records run from Espírito Santo to Santa Catarina. Outside Brazil, from North Carolina and the Dry Tortugas in Florida to the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and Venezuela.

Habitat: Gravel bottoms and shell and coral fragments, from 76 to 244 m, near the bottom.

coast

Northeast CoastSoutheast CoastSouth Coastshelfoceanic

states

Ceará, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of year
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

No well-documented season: the fish is on the same bottom all year, and what decides it is calm seas to lower the bait to 100 to 200 m.

best time of day

0h6h12h18h sunrise ~6amsunset ~6pm

Any time. It lives deep, where daylight changes little; the bite depends more on place and current than on time of day.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the atlantic goldeneye tilefish
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.

cold and cold fronts

Little effect in deep, stable water.

atmospheric pressure

Little direct effect; what gets in the way is choppy surface seas.

moon

Small effect.

rain

Not very relevant.

water level

Strong current drags the line and makes it hard to keep the bait on the bottom.

noise

No effect on the bottom.

wind

Strong wind and rough seas prevent deep bottom fishing.

depth

Between 76 and 244 m, over gravel bottom.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Bottom fishing from a boatNatural bait on the bottom
rod
6'0" to 7'0", 50 to 80 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel
electric reel or high-profile baitcasting reel with plenty of line
line
braided line 50 to 80 lb
leader
monofilament 80 to 100 lb with 2 to 3 hooks
hook
circle 6/0 to 9/0

natural baits

  • lula
  • fish fillet
  • sardinha

accessories

  • sinker of 500 g to 1 kg
  • descender (fish descender)
  • luvas

tip from an angler

Lower the bait to the gravel bottom and keep it close to it; without a fish finder it is hard to find the right bottom.

what the law says

rules for the atlantic goldeneye tilefish

Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: Not on the Brazilian national list (Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026). We found no specific Brazilian federal rule for the species. The rule for the peixe-batata (Lopholatilus villarii) does not apply to it.

Mexico: up to 10 marine fish per angler per day, no more than 5 of the same species

10 marine specimens per angler per day; no more than 5 of the same species

In Mexico's federal waters, sport and recreational fishing for marine species has a limit of 10 specimens per angler per day, with no more than 5 of any one species. Fish over the limit may only be taken if released alive. Sport-caught fish belong to the permit holder and may not be sold; fish may not be landed as fillets (they may only be filleted on board for consumption during the trip). For spearfishing the limit is 5 fish per day. Fishing from a boat requires a permit.

Source: Amendment to NOM-017-PESC-1994 (recreational sport fishing in federal waters of Mexico), signed Oct 14, 2013 and published in the DOF on Nov 25, 2013, items 4.9.1, 4.9.4, 4.9.5, 4.11 and 4.12 (Sagarpa/Conapesca)

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.

A fish from more than 76 m arrives with barotrauma: release it quickly with a descender. Do not puncture the swim bladder.

in the kitchen

FishBase says the meat is not prized. If you keep the fish, clean it and ice it right after catching, like any white fish.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00741, b = 3.1; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

estimated weight

—

sources and references

The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.

  1. scientific FishBase: Caulolatilus chrysops (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology and IUCN status. Page checked Oct 13, 2026. The profile's maximum weight (about 2.4 kg) was calculated from the length-weight relationship for 60 cm; FishBase gives no published weight. The common weight was calculated the same way.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Caulolatilus chrysopsNames by country and language. FishBase gives no Portuguese name: 'batata-de-olho-dourado' is an editorial label, built from 'batata' (the name of the peixe-batata, Lopholatilus villarii, from the same family in Brazil) and the English 'goldeneye tilefish', and is not an established name.
  3. official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.
  4. scientific IUCN Red List: Caulolatilus chrysops (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 29/01/2013)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
  5. official ICMBio/SALVE: Ficha de Caulolatilus chrysops (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)Record from the ICMBio national assessment in the SALVE system; the DOI was checked on Crossref. The national category should be confirmed on the record itself: the species is not in Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026.
  6. scientific GBIF: registros de Caulolatilus chrysops no BrasilChecked Oct 13, 2026 in GBIF's open database (country = Brazil). Records come from collections and observations and show where the species has been seen, not how abundant it is. There are collection records in Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Santa Catarina.
  7. scientific Carpenter, K. E. (org.) (2002). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Vol. 3: Bony fishes part 2 (Opistognathidae to Molidae). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. Roma: FAO.Reference identification guide for the western Atlantic (Malacanthidae/Latilidae chapter).
  8. official Code of Federal Regulations, 50 CFR 622, Subpart S: Porto Rico (NOAA Fisheries, EUA)Consolidated text in the eCFR, checked Oct 13, 2026. The federal rule's reef fish table does not list Caulolatilus chrysops, so Puerto Rico's federal limits do not apply to the species.
  9. official Modificação da NOM-017-PESC-1994, para regular a pesca deportivo-recreativa nas águas de jurisdição federal do México (DOF, 25/11/2013)Text read in the DOF: items 4.2 to 4.12 (quotas, underwater fishing, sales and fillets).
don't confuse

similar species

Illustration of Tilefish
LatilidaeVU

Tilefish

Lopholatilus villarii

Deep-bottom fish of the Southeast and South, with a fleshy crest on the nape. Vulnerable: retention only from 40 cm, and fleet closed season in September and October.

Sea
time of year
Illustration of Ocean whitefish
Latilidae

Ocean whitefish

Caulolatilus princeps

Eastern Pacific bottom fish with a sturdy, blue-gray body that lives alone over rocks, sand and mud, usually at 24 to 55 m. Caught from a boat on the bottom with natural bait and jigs.

Sea
time of yearbest: Jun–Sep
Illustration of Blackline tilefish
Latilidae

Blackline tilefish

Caulolatilus cyanops

Tilefish from Caribbean and northern South American bottoms, common between 150 and 250 m. Its flesh is highly prized and sold fresh at market.

Sea
Illustration of Grey tilefish
Latilidae

Grey tilefish

Caulolatilus microps

Tilefish from mud and gravel bottoms in the southeastern United States and Mexico, between 30 and 162 m. It is sold fresh and is of interest to both sport and commercial fishing.

Sea