giant seabass
Stereolepis gigas
Giant of the rocky bottoms of the eastern Pacific, reaching 250 cm and 255.6 kg. It is critically endangered, so it is best released.
Also called: garoupa-gigante-do-pacífico, lubina gigante, mero pescada, pescara, giant seabass
- maximum
- 250 cm
- record/max.
- 255.6 kg
- depth
- 5–46 m
who is the giant seabass
Giant sea bass of the family Stereolepididae. It reaches 250 cm and up to 255.6 kg. It lives on rocky bottoms near the coast, 5 to 46 m deep. Large individuals are mostly deeper than 30 m, while small ones live on sand and in kelp forests, 12 to 21 m deep. It forms spawning aggregations in summer, and the spawning is pelagic. It ranges from Humboldt Bay, California, to Mexico, and there are records from Japan. It enters commercial fishing and is sought by sport anglers.
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 giant seabass.
fun facts
- One individual 75 years old has been recorded.
identification
Giant fish with a fusiform body, reaching 250 cm. Large ones prefer stony bottoms, usually deeper than 30 m, while small ones stay on sand and in kelp forests. It lives near the coast, 5 to 46 m deep, and size is the main sign for identifying 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, from Humboldt Bay, California, to Mexico. In Latin America, it occurs only in Mexico.
Habitat: Rocky bottoms near the coast, 5 to 46 m; large individuals are mostly below 30 m.
rules for the giant seabass
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.
No danger to anglers, but it is critically endangered: if hooked, release it carefully and quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01122, b = 3.04; 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: Stereolepis gigas (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Stereolepis gigasNames by country and language.