goldspotted sand bass
Paralabrax auroguttatus
Sea bass of rocky bottoms in the Gulf of California and Baja California, reaching 71 cm. It is an important fish for sport fishing.
Also called: cabrilha-de-pintas-douradas, cabrilla extranjera, goldspotted sand bass
- maximum
- 71 cm
- record/max.
- 2.7 kg
- depth
- 40–107 m
who is the goldspotted sand bass
Sea bass of the family Serranidae. It reaches 71 cm and up to 2.7 kg. It lives on rocky bottoms, from 40 to 107 m, in Baja California and the Gulf of California, Mexico. Adults stay on the rocky bottom. It is an important sport fish, and commercial fishing takes it on a small scale.
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 goldspotted sand bass; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Sea bass with golden spots, as its common name indicates. It lives on rocky bottoms, between 40 and 107 m, deeper than the sea basses of sand bottoms near the coast. Compare it with the spotted sand bass and the barred sand bass, which live in the same region but on sandy bottoms and in shallower water. The golden spots are the main feature for recognizing it.
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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
Lives in the eastern Pacific, in Baja California and the Gulf of California, Mexico. In Latin America, it occurs only in Mexico.
Habitat: Rocky bottoms, from 40 to 107 m.
rules for the goldspotted sand 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.
Poses no danger to anglers. When releasing it, remove the hook carefully so the fish survives.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.0138, b = 3.07; 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
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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: Paralabrax auroguttatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Paralabrax auroguttatusNames by country and language.
