tallfin croaker
Micropogonias altipinnis
Croaker of coastal waters, bays and lagoons of the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Peru. Common in local markets and caught on a small scale.
Also called: corvina-de-nadadeira-alta, corvina berrugata, golden croaker
- maximum
- 90 cm
- depth
- 1–30 m
who is the tallfin croaker
Fish of the family Sciaenidae, with an elongated, fusiform body, growing to 90 cm. Common size 40 cm. It lives over sandy beaches and bays, and also in estuaries and lagoons, from 1 to 30 m deep, close to the bottom, from the Gulf of California to Peru. It eats shrimp, fish, molluscs, other crustaceans and marine worms. It is common in local markets and enters small-scale 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 tallfin croaker; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Elongated, fusiform body with the typical shape of a croaker. The common name refers to its high fin. It lives on sandy beaches and bays, in estuaries and lagoons, 1 to 30 m deep. Among the weakfishes and croakers of the same coast, it grows to 90 cm: less than the queen weakfish (Cynoscion albus), at 130 cm, and more than the bigeye weakfish (Isopisthus remifer), at 36 cm.
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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
Eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California in Mexico to Peru, in bays, lagoons and estuaries with sandy shores.
Habitat: Sand in bays, lagoons and estuaries, 1 to 30 m deep.
rules for the tallfin croaker
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.
Harmless to people. Release it quickly and carefully if it is caught by accident in the net or on the line.
in the kitchen
Common in local markets.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00871, b = 3.07; 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: Micropogonias altipinnis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Micropogonias altipinnisNames by country and language.
