stripefin ronquil
Rathbunella hypoplecta
Small bottom fish of northern Baja California, living among rocks and sand on exposed shores. No danger to anglers.
Also called: ronco-listrado, ronco pelón rayado, stripefin ronquil
- maximum
- 16 cm
who is the stripefin ronquil
A small fish of the family Bathymasteridae, with an elongated body, living near the bottom among rocks and sand on exposed shores. It occurs in the Mexican Pacific, in northern Baja California, and extends to San Francisco, California. It reaches 16 cm total length, at depths of 6 to 91 m. It feeds on invertebrates, and the male guards the eggs after spawning. It has commercial use and is also sold for aquariums, but it is incidental catch for sport anglers.
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 stripefin ronquil.
identification
Small fish with an elongated body, of the family Bathymasteridae, living near rocky and sandy bottoms on exposed shores. It reaches 16 cm, which helps tell it apart from larger bottom fish along the coast. Its common names (listrado in Portuguese, rayado in Spanish) refer to stripes, a feature to check up close. Certain identification depends on a specialist.
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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
In Mexico, it occurs in northern Baja California, on exposed shores with rocks and sand.
Habitat: Rocks and sand on exposed shores, from 6 to 91 m deep.
rules for the stripefin ronquil
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.
It poses no danger to anglers. As a bottom fish, it may suffer barotrauma if it comes from depth: release it carefully.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00389, b = 3.12; 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: Rathbunella hypoplecta (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Rathbunella hypoplectaNames by country and language.