striped kelpfish
Gibbonsia metzi
Small fish of algae and tide pools in the Pacific, from Canada to Baja California. It has commercial use, mainly for aquariums.
Also called: peixe-das-algas-listrado, sargacero rayado, striped kelpfish
- maximum
- 24 cm
- depth
- 0–9 m
who is the striped kelpfish
A small fish of the family Clinidae that reaches 24 cm. It lives among algae, especially in tide pools and kelp forests, from the surface to 9 m deep. It occurs in the Pacific, from Vancouver Island, Canada, to central Baja California, Mexico. It lays eggs and is fished commercially, and is also collected for aquariums. It shares its habitat with the giant kelpfish, of the same family and much larger.
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 striped kelpfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Elongated body, reddish or brown, with faint stripes or darker spots, which gives it its name. The tail and pectoral fins are rounded, and the dorsal fin is long. It lives among algae, in tide pools and kelp forests. To tell it apart from the giant kelpfish, which belongs to the same family, size helps: this species reaches 24 cm, and the other reaches 61 cm.
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.
where found
From Vancouver Island, in Canada, to central Baja California; in Latin America, only in Mexico, among algae and tide pools.
Habitat: Algae and tide pools, down to 9 m.
rules for the striped kelpfish
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 recorded danger to anglers. Because it is small, handle it carefully and return it to the water.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00501, b = 3.06; 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: Gibbonsia metzi (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Gibbonsia metziNames by country and language.
