catalog Carangidae · omnivore

pilotfish

Naucrates ductor

Sea

A slender, striped jack that accompanies sharks, rays, turtles and large open-sea fish, eating scraps and parasites. It shows up on the hook by chance, near attractors and large fish that have been hooked.

Also called: peixe-piloto, piloto, pilotfish, pilot fish

forecast for pilotfish where found

common size: 30–50 cm
maximum: 70 cm
common weight: 0.3–1.3 kg
record/max.: — kg
depth: 0–300 m
ideal water: 22–28 °C

overview

who is the pilotfish

The pilot fish is a slender, striped jack that accompanies sharks, rays, turtles and other large open-sea fish in a semi-obligate commensal relationship: it eats scraps from its host's meals, parasites and waste, as well as small fish and invertebrates. Juveniles stay with jellyfish and drifting sargassum. It is circumtropical: in the western Atlantic it ranges from Nova Scotia to Argentina, and in the eastern Pacific from Vancouver Island to the Galápagos and Chile. It reaches 70 cm, with a common length of 40 cm. Its eggs are pelagic. It is occasionally caught with a dip net at the surface and sold fresh, salted or dried. For sport anglers, it usually turns up by chance, along with hooked sharks, attractor buoys and drifting objects.

fun facts

The name comes from the old idea that it guided the shark; in fact, it eats its host's scraps and parasites.
Juveniles shelter under jellyfish and drifting sargassum.
FishBase cites capture with a hand dip net at the surface.

how to recognize it

identification

Slender jack with a slightly flattened body, pale to dark blue, with 6 to 7 broad, dark vertical bars. The tips of the tail lobes and of the lobes of the second dorsal and anal fins are white. The end of the maxilla reaches the front edge of the eye. It has no scutes on the lateral line, but has fleshy keels on the caudal peduncle. The first dorsal fin is reduced to 4 or 5 short, separate spines. It is almost always seen in front of a shark, a large fish or a drifting object.

how pilotfish fishing looks

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.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

The entire Brazilian coast, in open sea and alongside large animals, according to FishBase's latitude range (61°N to 43°S). In Latin America, the FishBase list includes Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay.

Habitat: Open sea and shelf waters, near the surface, alongside sharks, rays, turtles and large fish; juveniles live under jellyfish and drifting sargassum.

coast

North CoastNortheast CoastSoutheast CoastSouth Coastshelfoceanic

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of year

JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Present all year; it shows up wherever its host is, and does not depend on the season.

best time of day

Daytime. It stays with its host all day; the chances of hooking one are higher by day, near the surface.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the pilotfish
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.

cold and cold fronts

A fish of tropical and subtropical waters; it follows its host wherever the water is warmer.

atmospheric pressure

Small effect.

moon

Small effect.

rain

Little effect in open sea.

water level

Does not apply at sea. The equivalent is the presence of the host.

noise

Small effect.

wind

Rough sea makes it hard to see the pilot fish at the surface.

tide

Little direct effect.

depth

Almost always at the surface, in the first few meters.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Mid-water casting Bottom fishing from a boat

rod: 6' to 7', medium to fast action, 10 to 20 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel: spinning reel 3000 to 4000
line: braided line 15 to 25 lb
leader: fluorocarbon 20 to 30 lb, 1 m
hook: single 1/0 to 3/0 hook

lures

small jig, 10 to 30 g
small feather jig

natural baits

squid pieces
shrimp
strips of fish

accessories

alicate
long-handled landing net

tip from an angler

If the pilot fish starts following the boat or your hooked fish, stay alert: it is usually with a shark, a ray or another large fish.

what the law says

rules for the pilotfish

Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: Not on the Brazilian national list (Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026). Outside Mexico we found no specific rule for the species.

Mexico: up to 5 per species and 10 saltwater fish per day

5 specimens of the species per angler per day, within the limit of 10 saltwater fish

In recreational sport fishing in Mexican federal waters, each angler may keep up to 10 marine fish per day, no more than 5 of the same species. The pilot fish is not among the species reserved for sport fishing and has no quota of its own. Fish above the limit must be returned alive to the water, and sport-caught fish may not be sold. Anglers fishing from a boat need the recreational fishing permits provided for in the rule.

Source: Amendment to NOM-017-PESC-1994 (recreational sport fishing in federal waters of Mexico), published in the DOF on Nov 25, 2013, items 4.3, 4.9.1, 4.9.5 and 4.11 (Sagarpa/Conapesca)

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.

Hold it with a wet hand, remove the hook with pliers and release it promptly.

in the kitchen

Edible; FishBase records sales fresh, salted or dried, in small-scale commercial fishing. Given its size, it yields little.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

total length (cm)

Length-weight relationship W = a·L^b (a = 0.01413, b = 2.93; 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

The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.

scientific FishBase: Naucrates ductor (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology and IUCN status. Page checked on October 13, 2026. The common size range is an editorial estimate around the common length of 40 cm reported by FishBase.
scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Naucrates ductorNames by country and language.
official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.
official NOM-017-PESC-1994 (pesca deportivo-recreativa em águas de jurisdição federal do México), modificação publicada no DOF em 25/11/2013 (Sagarpa/Conapesca)Limit of 10 marine fish per angler per day, no more than 5 of the same species (item 4.9.1), return of the excess (4.9.5) and ban on selling sport-caught fish (4.11). Text checked Oct 13, 2026. The rule sets no quota of its own for this species.

don't confuse

similar species

Carangidae

Greater amberjack

Seriola dumerili

The bulldozer of the submerged reefs. Fights on the bottom with brute force and is the main target of vertical jigging in Brazil.

Sea

time of yearbest: May–Sep

Carangidae

Almaco jack

Seriola rivoliana

The seriola with the deepest body and sickle-shaped fins, from deep shoals and wrecks. A target of vertical jigging: it pulls hard toward the rock right after the hookset.

Sea

time of yearbest: Oct–Mar