cayenne pompano
Trachinotus cayennensis
A pompano of coastal waters and river mouths, from Colombia to Paraíba. It is a good fish to eat.
Also called: pampo-amarelo, pampano, cayenne pompano
- maximum
- 60 cm
who is the cayenne pompano
The yellow pompano belongs to the family Carangidae and reaches 60 cm, with a common size of 40 cm. It lives on sand and mud bottoms, in coastal waters and river mouths, down to 70 m. Adults stay on these bottoms, and juveniles are common in estuaries. Spawning generally occurs in summer, with pelagic eggs. It is a good fish to eat and is consumed fresh. It occurs from La Guajira, Colombia, to Paraíba, Brazil.
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 cayenne pompano; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Juveniles are common in estuaries.
identification
A pompano with a compressed, tall body, like the others of the genus Trachinotus, with elongated lobes on the dorsal and anal fins. The popular name refers to a yellowish tone. It lives on sand and mud bottoms, near river mouths, and juveniles are frequent in estuaries, which helps identify it on the north and northeast coast, where it does not go beyond Paraíba.
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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
In Latin America it occurs from La Guajira and Venezuela to northeastern Brazil, as far as Paraíba, in coastal waters and river mouths.
Habitat: Sand and mud bottoms in coastal waters and river mouths, down to 70 m.
coast
rules for the cayenne pompano
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 on the Brazilian national list (Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA No. 1.667/2026).
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 to anglers, and it can be released carefully.
in the kitchen
Good eating fish, best consumed fresh.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01288, b = 2.94; 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: Trachinotus cayennensis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Trachinotus cayennensisNames by country and language.
- official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.
