daisy midshipman
Porichthys margaritatus
Nocturnal toadfish of the eastern Pacific, which buries itself in sand by day. Its glands are not venomous, and it poses no danger to anglers.
Also called: peixe-sapo-pérola, sapo margarita, daisy midshipman
- maximum
- 17 cm
- depth
- 4–137 m
who is the daisy midshipman
Elongated toadfish of the family Batrachoididae, which lives on soft bottoms, from 4 to 137 m, from the Gulf of Tehuantepec, in Mexico, to Peru, including the Galápagos. It reaches 17 cm standard length. It is mainly nocturnal: it buries itself in sand by day and rises into the water column at night to feed. In late spring and early summer, it migrates to shallow reefs to spawn. It is commercially caught, and its glands are not venomous.
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 daisy midshipman; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Elongated toadfish of the family Batrachoididae. Because it buries itself by day, it is seen mostly at night, when it rises from the sand to feed. It occurs from Mexico to Peru, between 4 and 137 m, and reaches 17 cm. Porichthys analis, found only in Mexico, reaches 36 cm, twice as long, and lives deeper: size and range are the best clues for telling them apart in the field.
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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
It occurs in the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of Tehuantepec, in Mexico, to Peru, including the Galápagos, on sand and mud bottoms.
Habitat: Soft bottoms, where it buries itself by day, from 4 to 137 m deep.
when to fish
best time of day
Nighttime. Mainly nocturnal: it buries itself in sand by day and rises into the water column at night to feed.
rules for the daisy midshipman
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, and its glands are not venomous. Handle it carefully and release it quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00692, b = 3.17; 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: Porichthys margaritatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Porichthys margaritatusNames by country and language.
