steel pompano
Trachinotus stilbe
Pompano of the eastern Pacific, of very shallow waters near islands, forming large schools. It is not a direct target of fishing, but has minor sport and commercial use.
Also called: pampo-de-aço, pámpano acerado, pámpano, steel pompano
- maximum
- 34 cm
- depth
- 0–6 m
who is the steel pompano
The steel pompano belongs to the family Carangidae, with a deep body flattened on the sides, like all pompanos. It reaches 34 cm, and its common size is 30 cm. It lives in very shallow water, from 0 to 6 m, near islands, in the eastern Pacific from Ecuador to Peru, with records at the Galapagos, Revillagigedo and Mexico. It forms large schools. It is not a direct target of anglers, but can be caught with a rod and has a small commercial catch.
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 steel pompano; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Deep, laterally flattened body, silvery like most pompanos, with a forked tail. It is recognized by its shape and habitat: a pompano of very shallow water, down to 6 m, forming large schools near islands. It can be confused with other Pacific pompanos, such as the slender pompano (Trachinotus rhodopus).
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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
Eastern Pacific of Latin America, in Ecuador, Peru and Mexico, in very shallow water near islands.
Habitat: Very shallow water, from 0 to 6 m, in large schools near islands.
rules for the steel 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.
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.
No danger to anglers is recorded. Handle it carefully and release the fish quickly, with water flowing over its gills.
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 stilbe (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 stilbeNames by country and language.
