pinfish
Lagodon rhomboides
Small seabream of seagrass beds and estuaries of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, which usually forms large aggregations.
Also called: salema-espinhosa, chopa espina, pinfish
- maximum
- 40 cm
- record/max.
- 1.5 kg
- depth
- 6–30 m
who is the pinfish
The spiny salema belongs to the family Sparidae and reaches 40 cm, weighing up to 1.5 kg. It lives on vegetated bottoms, such as turtle grass beds, and also on rocky bottoms and in mangroves. It can enter brackish and even fresh water, and usually forms large aggregations. In North America it ranges from Massachusetts to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. In Latin America it occurs in Belize, Cuba and Mexico. It feeds on small animals, mostly crustaceans. It is sought after by sport fishing, has small commercial value, and is also used as bait.
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 pinfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Compressed-bodied fish with a spiny dorsal fin, typical of the family. By habitat, it is found mainly over seagrass beds, vegetated bottoms and near mangroves. It may be confused with the canhanha (Archosargus rhomboidalis), a seabream that also lives in mangroves and estuaries, but the canhanha reaches 33 cm, while this one reaches 40 cm.
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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 Latin America, it occurs in Belize, Cuba and Mexico, in seagrass beds and estuaries of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.
Habitat: Seagrass beds and vegetated bottoms, in estuaries and mangroves, 6 to 30 m.
rules for the pinfish
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.
Not dangerous to anglers. Since it is small, it can be released quickly, without spending much time out of the water.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01349, b = 3.04; 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: Lagodon rhomboides (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Lagodon rhomboidesNames by country and language.
