peruvian mojarra
Diapterus peruvianus
Tall, silvery mojarra of the eastern Pacific, commercially fished. Its flesh is of good quality.
Also called: carapeba-peruana, carapeba, mojarra, Peruvian mojarra
- maximum
- 35 cm
- record/max.
- 0.5 kg
- depth
- 1–30 m
who is the peruvian mojarra
The Peruvian mojarra is of the family Gerreidae and reaches 35 cm, weighing up to 472 g. It lives in coastal waters of the eastern Pacific, from Mazatlán, Mexico, to Callao, Peru, on soft bottoms, from 1 to 30 m. Juveniles live in mangrove lagoons and tidal channels, and adults on soft bottoms in deeper waters. It can enter brackish water. It feeds on bottom invertebrates and fish. Its flesh is considered of good quality, and it is part of commercial fishing.
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 peruvian mojarra; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Diamond-shaped, compressed and very tall body, with a fairly protractile mouth and a serrated preopercle edge. The body is silvery or golden, with bluish reflections, and the pelvic and anal fins are yellow with dark rays. Compare it with the shortfin mojarra (Eugerres brevimanus), which has thick lips and a short pectoral fin, and with the silver mojarra (Eucinostomus dowii), which has a spindle-shaped, less tall body.
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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, from Mazatlán, Mexico, to Callao, Peru, in coastal waters, and can enter brackish water.
Habitat: Coastal waters over soft bottoms, from 1 to 30 m; juveniles in mangroves.
rules for the peruvian mojarra
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. Be careful with the strong spine of the anal fin when holding the fish.
in the kitchen
It has good-quality flesh and is part of commercial fishing.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01318, b = 3.05; 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: Diapterus peruvianus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Diapterus peruvianusNames by country and language.
