spotfin croaker
Roncador stearnsii
Grunt of surf beaches and bays in the eastern Pacific, from California to southern Baja California, Mexico. It is caught on line and is commercially fished.
Also called: roncador-de-nadadeira-manchada, roncador manchado, spotfin croaker
- maximum
- 70 cm
- record/max.
- 4.8 kg
- depth
- 1–22 m
who is the spotfin croaker
A fish of the family Sciaenidae, with an elongated body, reaching 70 cm and 4.8 kg. Common size 30 cm. It lives near the bottom, over shallow sands of the surf zone, near rocks and bay mouths, from 1 to 22 m. It forms small groups and joins larger groups to spawn. It eats invertebrates such as marine worms, bivalve mollusks, crabs and small crustaceans. It spawns in the water, not on the bottom. It is taken in sport and commercial fishing.
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 spotfin croaker; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Elongated, spindle-shaped body, like other grunts. The common name points to spots on the fins. It lives in the surf zone, near rocks and bay mouths, in small groups. It shares the beach with the yellowfin croaker (Umbrina roncador), which reaches 56 cm; this one reaches 70 cm, and the difference in size helps tell them apart.
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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
Eastern Pacific, from California to southern Baja California. In Latin America, it occurs in Mexico.
Habitat: Surf zone, bays and near rocks, from 1 to 22 m.
rules for the spotfin croaker
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. When fishing the surf, release it quickly and carefully, without leaving the fish on the sand.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00871, b = 3.07; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). 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: Roncador stearnsii (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Roncador stearnsiiNames by country and language.
