striped kelpfish
Gibbonsia metzi · Clinidae · predator
Small fish of algae and tide pools in the Pacific, from Canada to Baja California. It has commercial use, mainly for aquariums.
Also called: peixe-das-algas-listrado, sargacero rayado, striped kelpfish
- maximum
- 24 cm
- depth
- 0–9 m
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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hour by hour
tap or drag on the chart to read each hour · on a keyboard, arrow keyssee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
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.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the striped kelpfish
who is the striped kelpfish
A small fish of the family Clinidae that reaches 24 cm. It lives among algae, especially in tide pools and kelp forests, from the surface to 9 m deep. It occurs in the Pacific, from Vancouver Island, Canada, to central Baja California, Mexico. It lays eggs and is fished commercially, and is also collected for aquariums. It shares its habitat with the giant kelpfish, of the same family and much larger.
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 striped kelpfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Elongated body, reddish or brown, with faint stripes or darker spots, which gives it its name. The tail and pectoral fins are rounded, and the dorsal fin is long. It lives among algae, in tide pools and kelp forests. To tell it apart from the giant kelpfish, which belongs to the same family, size helps: this species reaches 24 cm, and the other reaches 61 cm.
where found
From Vancouver Island, in Canada, to central Baja California; in Latin America, only in Mexico, among algae and tide pools.
Habitat: Algae and tide pools, down to 9 m.
rules for the striped kelpfish
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. Because it is small, handle it carefully and return it to the water.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00501, b = 3.06; 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: Gibbonsia metzi (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Gibbonsia metziNames by country and language.
similar species
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: