salema butterfish
Peprilus snyderi
Butterfish of the central-eastern Pacific, reaching 30 cm, ranging from the Gulf of California to Panama. It is taken in commercial fishing.
Also called: peixe-manteiga-salema, palometa salema, Salema butterfish
- maximum
- 30 cm
who is the salema butterfish
The family Stromateidae includes the butterfishes, with a short, deep, laterally compressed body. This species reaches 30 cm and occurs in the central-eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California and southern Baja California, in Mexico, to Panama, and is also recorded for Ecuador and Peru. It lives near the bottom and in midwater, in marine waters. It is taken in commercial fishing and almost never turns up on the line of anglers who use rods.
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 salema butterfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Short, deep, laterally compressed body, silvery like other butterfishes, with a small head and no pelvic fins. The Mexican and Central American region has other butterfishes of the same genus, similar in shape, such as the Pacific butterfish, so check where the fish was caught.
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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 central-eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California and southern Baja California, in Mexico, to Panama, and is also recorded for Ecuador and Peru. There are no records off the Brazilian coast.
Habitat: Near the bottom and in midwater, in marine waters of the central-eastern Pacific.
rules for the salema 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 = 0.01122, b = 3.02; 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: Peprilus snyderi (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Peprilus snyderiNames by country and language.
