gulf weakfish
Cynoscion othonopterus
Croaker of the Gulf of California, in Mexico, listed as vulnerable worldwide. It appears in commercial and sport fishing and should be released with care.
Also called: pescada-do-golfo, corvina del golfo, Gulf weakfish
- maximum
- 70 cm
- record/max.
- 2.4 kg
who is the gulf weakfish
Fish of the family Sciaenidae, with an elongated, fusiform body, reaching 70 cm and 2.4 kg. It lives only in the Gulf of California, in Mexico, between the bottom and the water above it. Adults stay in coastal waters, and juveniles are found near river mouths. Maturity occurs at about 29.5 cm. It is caught for commercial and sport purposes. Because it is listed as vulnerable worldwide, any individual that takes the hook should be released with care.
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 gulf weakfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Silvery, with a grayish blue back and small dark dots on the scales. The tip of the chin and the inside of the gill cover are dark, and the fins have a yellowish tone. The shortfin corvina (Cynoscion parvipinnis), which also lives in the gulf, reaches 69 cm, nearly the same size, so size does not separate the two: check the marks on the chin and the fins.
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 only in the Gulf of California, in Mexico, in coastal waters.
Habitat: Coastal waters of the Gulf of California, with juveniles near river mouths.
rules for the gulf weakfish
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 people. Because it is vulnerable, release it quickly and carefully if it is caught in a net or on the line.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00871, b = 3.06; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa pelo gênero e formato do corpo)). 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: Cynoscion othonopterus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Cynoscion othonopterusNames by country and language.
