bigscale goatfish
Pseudupeneus grandisquamis
Goatfish of sand and mud bottoms, from Mexico to Chile, usually appearing as incidental catch. It lives from 1 to 67 m.
Also called: salmonete-escamudo, chivo escamudo, chivo rosado, bigscale goatfish
- maximum
- 30 cm
- depth
- 1–67 m
who is the bigscale goatfish
The largescale goatfish belongs to the family Mullidae and reaches 30 cm. It lives on sand and mud bottoms near shore and also in deeper water, from 1 to 67 m. It reaches maturity at 18.3 cm. It occurs in the eastern Pacific, from Baja California, Mexico, to Chile, and one specimen was already caught at the warm-water outflow of a nuclear power plant in southern California, United States. It is usually taken as incidental catch and is rarely sought by sport anglers. It has large scales, which give the species its name.
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 bigscale goatfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Goatfish with a spindle-shaped body and large scales, which give the species its name. Like others in the family, it has two chin barbels, used to search for food on the bottom. It frequents sand and mud bottoms near shore and also deeper waters, down to 67 m, and is small, up to 30 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
Found in the eastern Pacific, from Baja California, Mexico, to Chile, on sand and mud bottoms.
Habitat: Sand and mud bottoms near shore and in deeper water, from 1 to 67 m.
rules for the bigscale goatfish
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.
No danger to anglers. As it usually comes up as incidental catch, handle it with wet hands and release it quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01, b = 3.1; 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: Pseudupeneus grandisquamis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Pseudupeneus grandisquamisNames by country and language.
