pacific ilisha
Ilisha fuerthii
Coastal sardine of the eastern Pacific, from El Salvador to northern Peru, that enters estuaries. Its flesh is of low quality.
Also called: sardinha-machete, machete, sardina hacha, Pacific ilisha
- maximum
- 33 cm
- depth
- 0–50 m
who is the pacific ilisha
A fish of the family Pristigasteridae, a relative of sardines and herrings, of slender, compressed body, reaching 33 cm. Common size 20 cm. It lives in coastal waters of the eastern Pacific, 0 to 50 m, from El Salvador to northern Peru. It enters estuaries, possibly to spawn. It feeds on small plankton crustaceans, and larger ones eat shrimp. Its flesh is of low quality, and the species is taken in small-scale 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 pacific ilisha; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- It enters estuaries, possibly to spawn.
identification
Moderately slender, compressed body, with a keel of scutes on the belly, large eye and a projecting lower jaw. The dorsal fin starts a little before the middle of the body, and the anal fin is long, starting below the last dorsal rays. On the same coast, the flat sardine (Opisthopterus dovii) has its dorsal fin farther back, past the middle of the body, and its anal fin starts closer to the snout.
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.
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
Tropical eastern Pacific, from El Salvador to northern Peru, in coastal waters and estuaries of Central America, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
Habitat: Coastal waters and shallow estuaries, 0 to 50 m.
rules for the pacific ilisha
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. It is a small sardine, so release it quickly if it comes up by accident.
in the kitchen
Its flesh is considered low quality.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00871, b = 3.04; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa pelo gênero e formato do corpo)). 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: Ilisha fuerthii (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Ilisha fuerthiiNames by country and language.
