Pseudopercis semifasciata
Argentina's "salmón de mar", cousin of the Brazilian namorado: body mottled with brown, large mouth and a black spot on the tail. It lives among rocks and reefs from southeastern Brazil to Patagonia, and is a prize of bottom fishing.
Also called: namorado-do-sul, namorado
The namorado-do-sul is a sandperch (family Pinguipedidae), the family of the Brazilian namorado (Pseudopercis numida). It lives on stone and sand bottoms of the coast and shelf, down to about 100 m, from southeastern Brazil to the Golfo San Jorge in Argentina. It reaches 1 m and 10 kg, with reports of larger fish, and has low fecundity and low resilience to fishing. In Argentina, where it is called salmón de mar, it is one of the most sought-after fish in boat and spearfishing in northern Patagonia and a benchmark for meat. In Brazil it is most common in the South, on parcels and rock reefs, and is often confused with the common namorado.
Elongated, almost cylindrical body, large head, wide mouth with thick lips. Light brown background with several vertical and horizontal bands formed by dark brown spots, a row of spots along the middle of the dorsal fin and a clearly visible black spot at the base of the upper tail lobe. Long dorsal fin with 4 or 5 short spines and 24 to 27 soft rays. The common namorado (P. numida) lacks this mottled pattern.
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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.
From Rio de Janeiro to Rio Grande do Sul, most common in the South. Outside Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina down to the Golfo San Jorge.
Habitat: Stone bottoms and rocky reefs mixed with sand, coastal parcels and wrecks.
coast
states
Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul
In Argentina the peak season runs from spring to the end of summer, when fish move closer to the coastal rocks; in winter they stay deeper.
Daytime. Hunts by day, lying in wait next to rocks; bites better in light and clearer water.
Cold water pushes fish from the shallow rocks out to the shelf.
A cold front with rough sea keeps the boat off the parcel; settled weather produces more.
Small effect.
Little effect at sea; murky water from heavy rain near the coast is a nuisance.
Not applicable at sea.
Sensitive on shallow rock: anchor carefully and avoid noise on the hull.
Strong wind creates drift and pulls the bait off the rock.
Moderate current helps; on spring tides, use a heavier sinker.
10 to 40 m for most boat catches.
lures
natural baits
accessories
When you feel the bite, pull the fish off the rock within the first few meters: if it dives into a crevice, the line will break.
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: Not assessed by the IUCN, according to FishBase. Not on the national list (Portaria GM/MMA 1.667/2026) nor in IN MMA 53/2005. Low fecundity and low resilience make the species sensitive to fishing.
On the sea coast of Buenos Aires province, sport fishing for salmón de mar has a minimum size of 37 cm (Annex 2 of Disposition 217/2007). We have not confirmed whether the rule remains unchanged, nor found a separate rule for Río Negro and Chubut.
The same rule places salmón de mar in "directed fishing", with a limit of 10 fish per angler per day and a maximum of 50 fish in 24 hours when categories are combined. Once the bag limit is reached, only catch and release is allowed.
It comes up from depth: if the swim bladder swells, use a descender to return the fish to depth. Hold it with both hands, supporting the belly, and avoid hot deck surfaces.
White, firm flesh, highly valued in Argentina; grilled, baked or in steaks.
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00933, b = 3.03; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana com dados da espécie e da subfamília, comprimento total)). 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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