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catalog Pinguipedidae · predator

pacific sandperch

Prolatilus jugularis

EstuarySeaessential profile

Bottom fish of sand and rock, from Peru to Chile, from 5 to 60 m. It is caught by commercial fishing.

Also called: namorado-do-pacífico, blanquillo, peje blanco, rollizo, Pacific sandperch

Scientific illustration of Pacific sandperch
maximum
40 cm
record/max.
0.2 kg
depth
5–60 m
overview

who is the pacific sandperch

The Pacific sandperch belongs to the family Pinguipedidae and is brownish, with a few faint dark marks. It lives on sand and rock bottoms, from Huacho, Peru, to Chiloé Island, Chile, between 5 and 60 m deep. It reaches 40 cm and 199 g. It feeds on crustaceans, polychaetes (marine worms) and small fish. It can enter brackish water. It is commercially fished, and Chilean fishers call it blanquillo or peje blanco.

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 sandperch.

fun facts

  • It can enter brackish water.
how to recognize it

identification

Grayish-brown fish with a few faint dark marks on the body. The tail is almost straight, with an almost truncate edge, that is, cut in an almost straight line. It lives on sand and rock bottoms, in shallow water, from 5 to 60 m. These traits, together with its bottom habit, are the most useful signs for identifying the species in the field.

how pacific sandperch fishing looks

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.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

In Latin America, it occurs in the southeastern Pacific, from Huacho, Peru, to Chiloé, Chile.

Habitat: Sand and rock bottoms, from 5 to 60 m deep.

what the law says

rules for the pacific sandperch

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.

Not dangerous. Release it carefully, without squeezing the body, and remove the hook with pliers.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00646, 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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Prolatilus jugularis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Prolatilus jugularisNames by country and language.