Sciaena deliciosa
The lorna, a small croaker and the most fished along the Peruvian coast, from sandy beaches and rocky shores. An everyday table fish, it has a minimum size and a closed season in April.
Also called: lorna, cholo, roncacho
The lorna is a sciaenid, from the croaker family, in the cold waters of the Humboldt Current, from Ecuador to Chile, where it is called roncacho. It lives near the coast, over sand and mud bottoms and along rocks, roughly between 5 and 50 m, and is one of the species most landed by Peruvian artisanal fishing. It grows past 40 cm, but most catches are 20 to 30 cm. It eats small bottom invertebrates and small fish. For shore and rock anglers on the central Peruvian coast, it is the most common catch. In recent Peruvian rules the scientific name appears as Callaus deliciosa.
Elongated, moderately deep body, grayish-blue to brown back, silver flanks with a golden sheen and a pale belly. Small mouth, with no chin barbel. Two dorsal fins joined by a deep notch; straight to slightly concave tail. It differs from the Chilean croaker, which grows much larger and has a large, oblique mouth.
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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.
Does not occur in Brazil. Southeastern Pacific, from Ecuador to Chile, most abundant along the Peruvian coast.
Habitat: Sandy beaches, sand and mud bottoms near the coast, and rocky areas.
Caught all year in Peru except April, the closed month. In El Niño years, with warm water, the distribution shifts and the lorna may move away from the coast.
Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. Bites by day from the beach and rocks, with peaks at dawn and late afternoon.
Adapted to cold water; strong sea warming, as in El Niño, changes availability.
Rough sea from a change in weather hurts beach fishing.
Spring tides at new and full moon stir the bottom more and usually produce on the beach.
It hardly ever rains on the Peruvian coast.
Not applicable at sea.
Not very sensitive in the surf; on shallow rocks, avoid casting shade over the spot.
Moderately choppy sea helps release food; rough sea prevents casting.
Rising tide on beaches and in channels between sandbanks.
1 to 10 m for beach and rock fishing.
natural baits
accessories
On the beach, look for the channels between sandbanks; fresh muy-muy is the classic lorna bait.
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: In Peru there is a minimum size and an annual closed season. We found no specific rule in Ecuador or Chile.
The official minimum size table of Peru's Ministry of Production gives 21 cm total length for the lorna. The previous value, 24 cm, came from Ministerial Resolution nº 209-2001-PE; we did not find the number of the resolution that made the change. It is prohibited to extract, transport and sell below the minimum size.
On the Peruvian coast it is prohibited to extract lorna from April 1 to 30 every year; the fishing season runs from May 1 to March 31. The dates may change if IMARPE detects a change in the maturation pattern.
Remove the hook quickly and release right away, without squeezing the belly. In Peru, below 21 cm release is mandatory.
White, tasty flesh, the base of ceviches, sudados (stews) and fried dishes in Peru.
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01023, b = 3.01; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana com dados da espécie e da subfamília, comprimento total); peso máximo calculado por esta relação). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.
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