Skip to content
fishing forecast

pacific flagfin mojarra

Eucinostomus currani · Gerreidae · omnivore

EstuarySeaessential profile

Tall-bodied mojarra of the eastern Pacific, which forms schools over soft coastal bottoms. It is caught as a secondary catch and sometimes serves as bait.

Also called: carapicu-do-pacífico, carapicu, mojarra, Pacific flagfin mojarra

Scientific illustration of Pacific flagfin mojarra
maximum
21 cm
depth
10–60 m
location

Sample location: choose yours to see the forecast for where you fish.

period

Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…

the species

everything about the pacific flagfin mojarra

overview

who is the pacific flagfin mojarra

The Pacific mojarra is of the family Gerreidae and reaches 21 cm. It lives in coastal waters, over soft bottoms, from Baja California to northern Peru, including the Cocos and Galápagos islands. Juveniles are common in estuaries, mangroves, tidal channels and rivers far from the coast, and adults stay in deeper waters, between 10 and 60 m. It forms schools and feeds on plants, micro-invertebrates and detritus, so it is omnivorous. It has little importance in commercial fishing and sometimes serves 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 pacific flagfin mojarra; in the meantime, see the similar species.

how to recognize it

identification

Short, tall body, with the protractile mouth typical of the family, and forms schools over soft coastal bottoms. No color or characteristic mark has been recorded, so it is worth comparing its shape with its relatives from the same sea: the silver mojarra (Eucinostomus dowii) has a spindle-shaped, less tall body, and the shortfin mojarra (Eugerres brevimanus) has thick lips and a short pectoral fin.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

Lives in the eastern Pacific, from Baja California, Mexico, to northern Peru, including the Cocos and Galápagos islands. Juveniles enter estuaries and rivers.

Habitat: Soft bottoms of coastal waters, from 10 to 60 m; juveniles in estuaries and mangroves.

what the law says

rules for the pacific flagfin mojarra

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.

Poses no danger to anglers. Because it is small, it can be released without problems.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01318, b = 3.06; 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

—

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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Eucinostomus currani (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Eucinostomus curraniNames by country and language.
don't confuse

similar species