catalog Kyphosidae · omnivore

cortez sea chub

Kyphosus elegans

Sea

Gray, slender sea chub from the rocky reefs, from the Gulf of California to Ecuador and the oceanic islands, which swims in schools grazing on algae. A shore and shallow-rock fish, caught with algae, bread and shrimp as bait.

Also called: pirajica-de-Cortés, Cortez sea chub, chopa de Cortés

forecast for cortez sea chub where found

Scientific illustration of Cortez sea chub

common size: 20–35 cm
maximum: 53 cm
common weight: 0.1–0.8 kg
record/max.: — kg
depth: 1–40 m
ideal water: 21–28 °C

overview

who is the cortez sea chub

Eastern Pacific sea chub, from southern Baja California and the Gulf of California to Ecuador, with the oceanic islands, also recorded in Peru and, according to STRI, in Hawaii. It lives near the coast, in shallow water down to about 20 to 40 m, usually in schools over rocky reefs, sometimes mixed with Kyphosus analogus and the surgeonfish Prionurus laticlavius. It eats mostly algae attached to the bottom and, now and then, plankton and bottom invertebrates. It reaches about 53 cm, and FishBase gives 25 cm as the common length (STRI says 38 cm maximum). It has a small commercial catch and is a rock and shoreline sport fish, taken with small hooks and vegetable bait.

fun facts

The teeth, in a single row and shaped like spatulas, look like the head of a golf club.
It can suddenly show many white spots the size of an eye (STRI).
It swims in schools and sometimes mixes with Kyphosus analogus and the surgeonfish Prionurus laticlavius.

how to recognize it

identification

Oval, somewhat elongated and compressed body, with a small head and mouth. The teeth form a single row of spatula-shaped teeth, like the head of a golf club. Continuous dorsal fin with 13 soft rays; the first anal ray is longer than the following ones. Uniform dark gray, with dark stripes along the flanks and, sometimes, white spots: STRI says it can suddenly show many white spots the size of an eye. The scales are small, thick and rough, and the tail is forked. It differs from the striped sea chub (Kyphosus vaigiensis) in lacking the golden lines and the golden mark under the eye.

how cortez sea chub 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

Not found in Brazil, where the sea chub is a different species (Kyphosus sectatrix). Eastern Pacific: from southern Baja California and the Gulf of California to Ecuador, with the oceanic islands, and recorded in Peru.

Habitat: Shallow rocky reefs and hard bottoms near the coast, in schools, down to about 40 m.

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of yearbest: Jun–Sep

JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Fishable all year on shallow reefs. Warm water and calm sea bring the schools closer to the coast and the rocks.

best time of day

Daytime. Grazes on algae by day, in schools near the rocks; at night it stays sheltered and bites little.

weather, water and behavior

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

cold and cold fronts

Cold upwelling water pushes the schools away from the rock.

atmospheric pressure

Little direct effect.

moon

Small effect.

rain

Little effect; muddy runoff water drives the school away from the rocky shore.

water level

Not applicable at sea.

noise

Less sensitive than predators, but shadows and footsteps over the school scare it in clear water.

wind

Surf hitting the rocky shore makes light-line fishing hard and disrupts the cast.

tide

A rising tide brings the school close to the rocks and algae.

depth

From 1 to 20 m, along rocks and algae.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Rocky shore Caniço (cane pole)Natural bait with float

rod: 7' to 9', 10 to 17 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel: spinning reel 2500 to 3500
line: monofilament or braided line 8 to 15 lb
leader: fluorocarbon 20 to 25 lb, 60 cm
hook: fine, small hook, sizes 6 to 1/0

lures

jig head of 3 to 7 g with silicone tail
light metal mini jig

natural baits

fresh algae
bread dough
small shrimp
crab pieces

accessories

chum of bread crumbs or chopped algae
alicate
landing net

tip from an angler

Gather the school with some bread or chopped algae, and use a small, fine hook with vegetable bait. Chumming is banned in tournaments in Mexico, but outside them it helps keep the school at the spot.

what the law says

rules for the cortez sea chub

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: Of little concern globally, in an old assessment. We did not check national assessments in the countries on the entry.

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 Cortez sea chub is not among the species reserved for sport fishing (marlin, sailfish, swordfish, tarpon, roosterfish and dorado, up to 50 nautical miles from shore, item 0.3 of the standard) and has no quota of its own. Fish over the limit go back alive, and sport-caught fish may not be sold. Anglers fishing from a boat need an individual permit; anglers fishing from shore do not. In sport fishing tournaments, chumming (throwing bait to draw fish in) is expressly banned (item 4.8).

Source: Amendment to NOM-017-PESC-1994 (recreational sport fishing in federal waters of Mexico), published in the DOF on Nov 25, 2013, items 0.3, 4.3, 4.9.1, 4.9.5, 4.11 and 4.14 (Sagarpa/Conapesca)

Colombia: sport fishing has ceased to exist as a category; tourist fishing applies (Law 2501/2025)

Transition period: confirm with AUNAP before fishingconfirm with the agency

In Judgment C-148 of Apr 27, 2022, the Constitutional Court declared unconstitutional the rules that provided for sport fishing, with effects postponed by one year. Law 2501, enacted on Jul 28, 2025, created the tourist fishing category, and the rules (gear, quantities, minimum sizes, methods, zones and seasons) depend on regulations from the Ministry of Agriculture with AUNAP. We have not confirmed whether the decrees have been issued: check with AUNAP and use a licensed tourism operator before fishing or keeping any fish.

Source: Constitutional Court of Colombia, Judgment C-148/2022; Law 2501 of 2025 (Congress of Colombia)

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 the fish head first. Shallow-water fish recover quickly; release any that exceed the quota.

in the kitchen

Sold fresh in small quantities (FishBase). Clean and gut it right after catching; it is best grilled or fried whole.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

total length (cm)

Length-weight relationship W = a·L^b (a = 0.01778, b = 3.01; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). 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: Kyphosus elegans (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology and IUCN status. Page checked on 13/10/2026. The common size range on this page is an editorial estimate around FishBase's common length (25 cm). STRI cites a maximum of 38 cm and a depth of 0 to 20 m; the page keeps FishBase's 53 cm and range of 1 to 40 m.
scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Kyphosus elegansNames by country and language.
scientific Robertson, D. R. & Allen, G. R. (2024). Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system, versão 3.0. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Kyphosus elegansDescription, colors, teeth, size (38 cm), depth of 0 to 20 m, algae diet and distribution (includes Hawaii). Page checked on 13/10/2026.
scientific IUCN Red List: Kyphosus elegans (avaliação global)Least Concern (LC), assessed May 23, 2007. Assessment checked in the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2); the species' Red List link was not opened.
official DOF: Modificação da NOM-017-PESC-1994, para regular a pesca deportivo-recreativa em águas de jurisdição federal do México (publicada em 25/11/2013)Reserves species for sport fishing (item 0.3), permits (4.3 and 4.14), rods and hooks (4.6), bait (4.7), chumming in tournaments (4.8), daily limits at sea (4.9.1) and in fresh water (4.9.2), catch and release (4.9.5), closed zones, seasons and protected areas (4.10), a ban on selling the catch (4.11) and filleting (4.12). Text checked on Oct 13, 2026; the DOF records publication on Nov 25, 2013 and signature on Oct 14, 2013. We found no specific Conapesca federal closed season for this species.
official Corte Constitucional da Colômbia: Sentença C-148 de 27 de abril de 2022 (pesca deportiva)We checked the date and summary of the judgment, which holds sport fishing unconstitutional. The one-year postponement of effects comes from press reports on the decision; we did not read the full operative part.
press Agenda del Mar: Pesca de turismo, qué se aprobó y qué falta (Lei 2501 de 2025)Reports the enactment of Law 2501 on Jul 28, 2025 and the regulatory deadlines (six months for tourism and one year for zones, species, methods and seasons). We could not open the official text of the law or confirm whether the decrees have been issued.

don't confuse

similar species

Kyphosidae

Brassy chub

Kyphosus vaigiensis

Silvery sea chub with golden lines along the body, which swims in schools over rocky reefs and surf-battered shores of the eastern Pacific. A rocky-shore and surf-zone fish, good eating according to FishBase.

Sea

time of yearbest: Jun–Sep

Kyphosidae

Yellow sea chub

Kyphosus incisor

A relative of the pirajica, grey with brass-coloured stripes, of rocky shores and shallow reefs. It eats algae and sargassum, is strong and wary, and calls for light line.

Sea

time of yearbest: Dec–Mar