palm ruff
Seriolella violacea
Open-sea fish of the southeastern Pacific, with a dark blue-grey body, reaching 65 cm and commercially fished.
Also called: xaréu-palmeira, cojinoba palmera, cojinoba del norte, palmera, palm ruff
- maximum
- 65 cm
who is the palm ruff
The palmera belongs to the family Centrolophidae, with a moderately deep, compressed body. It reaches 65 cm, and its common size is 35 cm. It lives in open sea, in the oceanic pelagic zone, in the southeastern Pacific, from Chile to the Galápagos, Ecuador. The body is dark blue-grey all over, with silvery reflections on the flanks and belly, and the scales come off easily. It is commercially fished and is not a rocky-shore or beach fish.
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 palm ruff; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Moderately deep, compressed body, dark blue-grey all over, with silvery reflections on the flanks and belly. The pectoral fins are sickle-shaped and the scales come off easily. The dorsal fin starts above or slightly behind the base of the pectoral fins. It lives in open sea, which helps set it apart from coastal fish.
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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
Southeastern Pacific of Latin America, from Chile to Ecuador, including the Galápagos, in open sea.
Habitat: Open sea, in midwater, in the oceanic pelagic zone.
rules for the palm ruff
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 recorded danger to anglers. Handle with care, since the scales come off easily.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00871, b = 3.1; 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: Seriolella violacea (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Seriolella violaceaNames by country and language.
