mexican moonfish
Paraselene orstedii
Very deep-bodied, silvery fish of the eastern Pacific, in small schools near the bottom in shallow coastal waters. It turns up now and then in sport fishing.
Also called: peixe-galo-corcunda, jorobado, espejuelo, mexican moonfish
- maximum
- 33 cm
who is the mexican moonfish
Fish of the family Carangidae, with a very deep, short, compressed body and no scales, which lives in small schools near the bottom in shallow coastal waters. It occurs from Baja California to Colombia and reaches 33 cm total length. Juveniles are yellowish, with interrupted dark transverse bands. It feeds on squid, small crabs, small fish and polychaetes. It is caught commercially on a small scale, and is a sport fish that appears along the coast.
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 mexican moonfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Very deep, short, compressed body, silvery with blue-green reflections and no scales. In adults, the front lobes of the second dorsal and anal fins are elongated; in juveniles, the spines in front of the dorsal fin are very long. The Hemicaranx zelotes, from the same coast, has a much less deep, subovate body. In juveniles, the yellow and dark bands help identify it.
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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
Occurs in the eastern Pacific, from Baja California to Colombia, in shallow coastal waters, near the bottom.
Habitat: Shallow coastal waters, in small schools near the bottom.
rules for the mexican moonfish
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.
Harmless to anglers. A deep-bodied, compressed fish: hold it carefully, without squeezing.
in the kitchen
Sold fresh, salted or dried.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.02344, b = 2.88; 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: Paraselene orstedii (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Paraselene orstediiNames by country and language.
