peruvian moonfish
Selene peruviana
Eastern Pacific lookdown, with a short, deep, compressed body, which forms schools near the bottom in coastal waters down to 50 m. It has a small commercial catch.
Also called: peixe-galo-peruano, espejo, peruvian moonfish
- maximum
- 40 cm
- depth
- 0–50 m
who is the peruvian moonfish
Fish of the family Carangidae, the jacks, with a very short, deep, compressed body and a lookdown profile. It reaches 40 cm, and the common size is 24 cm. It lives in coastal waters down to 50 m, in the eastern Pacific, from Mexico to Peru, with a rare record farther north, in California. Adults form schools near the bottom, while juveniles stay near the surface. It feeds on small fish and crustaceans. It is caught on a small scale and is usually sold fresh, salted or dried.
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 peruvian moonfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Very short, deep, compressed, scaleless body, silvery to golden with metallic blue reflections. Juveniles have long first dorsal spines, a silvery body and an oval dark spot on the straight part of the lateral line. Among eastern Pacific lookdowns, the very deep, scaleless body is the family trait; to tell it apart from similar species, such as the Mexican lookdown (Selene brevoortii), check the location and the size.
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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, from Mexico to Peru, in coastal waters down to 50 m.
Habitat: Shallow coastal waters, down to 50 m, near the bottom; juveniles stay near the surface.
rules for the peruvian 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.
No recorded danger to anglers. Hold the fish by the body, with the whole hand, and release it carefully.
in the kitchen
Often sold fresh, salted or dried.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01622, b = 2.83; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). 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: Selene peruviana (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Selene peruvianaNames by country and language.
