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fishing forecast

yellowfin goby

Acanthogobius flavimanus · Gobiidae · omnivore

EstuarySeaessential profile

Exotic goby in Mexico, where it was introduced. Its native range is the northwestern Pacific of Asia, in shallow bays and estuaries.

Also called: gobião-de-nadadeira-amarela, gobião, gobio extranjero, Yellowfin goby

Scientific illustration of Yellowfin goby
maximum
30 cm
depth
1–6 m
location

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period

Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…

the species

everything about the yellowfin goby

overview

who is the yellowfin goby

The yellowfin goby belongs to the family Gobiidae and reaches 30 cm. It is exotic in Mexico, where it was introduced. Its native range is the northwestern Pacific, from Russia to Japan, including Korea and China. It lives on mud and sand bottoms of bays and estuaries, from the intertidal zone down to 6.5 m, and sometimes moves up rivers. Eggs are laid in Y-shaped nests, and spawning takes place in winter and early spring. It has commercial use and also appears in public aquariums.

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 yellowfin goby.

fun facts

  • It is used in Chinese medicine.
how to recognize it

identification

Elongated body, typical of a bottom goby. No color or distinctive mark is recorded, so habitat and origin help: it is an exotic goby of bays and estuaries with mud and sand bottoms, not of tide pools and rocky shores like the Panamic goby (Bathygobius ramosus). The Portuguese name points to the yellow fins.

distribution

where found

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Exotic in Mexico, where it was introduced. Its native range is the northwestern Pacific of Asia, from Russia to Japan.

Habitat: Mud and sand bottoms of bays and estuaries, from the intertidal zone down to 6.5 m.

what the law says

rules for the yellowfin goby

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.

It poses no danger to anglers. Because it is exotic in Mexico, do not carry it alive to other waters.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00676, b = 3.02; 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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Acanthogobius flavimanus (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 Acanthogobius flavimanusNames by country and language.