pacific spadefish
Chaetodipterus zonatus
Spadefish with a very tall, compressed body, from reefs and sandy bottoms of the Pacific, from Mexico to Peru. It is of little interest to sport fishing.
Also called: enxada-do-pacífico, paguala, peluquero, palma rayada, pacific spadefish
- maximum
- 65 cm
- depth
- 3–50 m
who is the pacific spadefish
Fish of the family Ephippidae, with a very tall, compressed body, short head, sloping profile and small terminal mouth. It grows to 65 cm, and the common size is 25 cm. It lives close to the coast, over coral reefs and sandy bottoms, from 3 to 50 m deep, and forms small schools. It eats bottom invertebrates. It occurs in the eastern Pacific, from San Diego, California, to Peru. It is commercially fished and also sold for aquariums.
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 pacific spadefish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- It forms schools together with the three-band butterflyfish (Chaetodon humeralis).
identification
Fish with a very tall, compressed body, short head, sloping profile and small terminal mouth. The spines of the dorsal fin are well developed. On the same coast, the Panama spadefish (Parapsettus panamensis) lives on the same reefs, and the main difference is size: it reaches 31 cm, while this one reaches 65 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 of Latin America, from Mexico to Peru, on coral reefs and sandy bottoms.
Habitat: Coral reefs and sandy bottoms near the coast, 3 to 50 m deep.
rules for the pacific spadefish
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.
It has no venom and is safe to handle. Remove the hook from its small mouth with pliers and hold it carefully by its tall body.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.02692, b = 2.85; 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: Chaetodipterus zonatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Chaetodipterus zonatusNames by country and language.
