señorita
Halichoeres californicus
Small senorita of the kelp forests of California and Baja California, in Mexico. It is almost never caught with a rod and appears mostly in the aquarium trade.
Also called: bodião-californiano, señorita californiana, señorita
- maximum
- 25 cm
- depth
- 0–97 m
who is the señorita
The senorita is of the family Labridae and reaches 25 cm. It lives among algae and rocks, from the intertidal zone down to 97 m, but generally less than 23 m. It occurs from northern California, in the United States, to the southern Baja California peninsula, in Mexico. It forms small groups, often well above the bottom. When frightened, it buries itself in the sand, where it also sleeps at night with its head out. It eats small invertebrates and removes parasites from other fish that come to be cleaned. It does not change sex and spawns freely in the water.
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 señorita; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- It also removes parasites from other fish that come to it to be cleaned.
- The maximum recorded age is 4 years.
identification
Small senorita with a thin, elongated body, like the others of the family. It is usually seen among algae and rocks, in small groups well above the bottom. When frightened, it buries itself in the sand, and at night it sleeps buried with its head out. In the same region lives the rock wrasse, which is larger and frequents tide pools.
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 northern California, in the United States, to the southern Baja California peninsula; in Latin America it occurs only in Mexico, among algae and rocks.
Habitat: Among algae and rocks, from the intertidal zone down to 97 m, generally less than 23 m, with sand nearby.
rules for the señorita
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.
Poses no danger to anglers. It is a small fish: handle it with wet hands and release it quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.0049, b = 3.13; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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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: Halichoeres californicus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Halichoeres californicusNames by country and language.
