pacific creole-fish
Cephalopholis colonus
Small Creole-fish from reefs of the eastern Pacific, forming groups above the reef. It makes good natural bait and has reports of ciguatera.
Also called: jabu-crioulo, jabu, indio, Pacific creole-fish
- maximum
- 36 cm
- depth
- 10–70 m
who is the pacific creole-fish
The Creole-fish belongs to the family Epinephelidae and reaches 35.6 cm. It lives on reefs and rocky shores of the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Peru, including the Galapagos, Cocos and Malpelo islands, between 10 and 70 m. It forms small groups slightly above the reef and returns to it when threatened. It feeds mainly on small plankton animals, picked one at a time from the water. It serves as bait and, in subsistence fishing, is part of the local diet.
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 creole-fish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- It eats small plankton animals, picked one at a time from the water, and its short snout helps in this hunting.
identification
Reddish or grayish-red body, with two to three bright blue or violet spots on the upper body and two more in the middle of the caudal peduncle. There is one bright blue spot at the base of the pectoral fin, and the base of the dorsal fin is darker, with a reddish-green edge. The snout is short, and the body is slimmer than that of the Panamic graysby (Cephalopholis panamensis), which has a larger head.
Loading the next 7 days…
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 the Gulf of California to Peru, including the Galapagos, Cocos and Malpelo islands.
Habitat: Reefs and rocky shores, in small groups above the reef, from 10 to 70 m.
rules for the pacific creole-fish
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 sting or venom, but there are reports of ciguatera in this species: when in doubt, do not eat it.
in the kitchen
It is taken in subsistence fishing, but there are reports of ciguatera, a poisoning linked to reef fish; so be careful when eating it.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01148, 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: Cephalopholis colonus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Cephalopholis colonusNames by country and language.
