starry butterfish
Stromateus stellatus
Butterfish of Peru and Chile, reaching 25.1 cm, with a blue-green back and small blue spots. It is taken in commercial fishing.
Also called: peixe-manteiga-estrelado, pampanito, palometa, Starry butterfish
- maximum
- 25 cm
- depth
- 0–200 m
who is the starry butterfish
The family Stromateidae includes the butterfishes, with a short, deep, laterally compressed body. This species reaches 25.1 cm and occurs in the southeastern Pacific, in Peru and Chile, with a record also in Ecuador. It lives from 0 to 200 m, from the shoreline to the shelf, between the bottom and the water column. It has a blue-green back with small dark-blue spots, and a silvery-white belly, with darker fin edges. It is commercially caught in the region.
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 starry butterfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Short, deep, laterally compressed body, blue-green on the back and silver-white on the belly, with no pelvic fins. The back carries small dark-blue spots, and the fin edges are darker. Recognize it by the whole picture: the colors of the back, the small spots and the dark fin edges.
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
Occurs in the southeastern Pacific, in Peru and Chile, with a record also in Ecuador, from the shoreline to the shelf. There are no records off the Brazilian coast.
Habitat: Coastal and shelf waters, from 0 to 200 m, between the bottom and the water column.
rules for the starry butterfish
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. Release it with minimal handling.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01549, b = 2.95; 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
—
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: Stromateus stellatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Stromateus stellatusNames by country and language.
