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fishing forecast

pacific spotted scorpionfish

Scorpaena mystes · Scorpaenidae · predator

Sea

Camouflaged eastern Pacific scorpionfish, from California to Chile. Lies still on rocky shores and gravel bottoms, almost invisible, and has venomous spines: it shows up mostly as accidental catch.

Also called: peixe-escorpião-roqueiro, peixe-escorpião-pintado-do-Pacífico, stone scorpionfish, Pacific spotted scorpionfish

everything about the pacific spotted scorpionfish where found
Scientific illustration of Pacific spotted scorpionfish
common size
20–35 cm
maximum
46 cm
common weight
0.1–0.6 kg
record/max.
— kg
depth
0–30 m
ideal water
18–27 °C
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 spotted scorpionfish

overview

who is the pacific spotted scorpionfish

Cryptic eastern Pacific scorpionfish, from southern California (USA) to Chile, with the Revillagigedo, Galápagos, Cocos and Malpelo islands. Lives in shallow water, from 0 to 30 m according to FishBase (STRI cites up to 100 m), on algae-covered rocky shores and open sand and gravel bottoms. It sits still on the bottom, camouflaged among the rocks, waiting for small fish to pass, and reaches 45.7 cm. The flesh is of very good quality but is almost never used commercially because of its venomous spines, and fishing for it is mostly for subsistence. In sport fishing it appears as an accidental catch from the bottom and from rocky shores: always handle it with care, because the spines wound and hurt badly.

fun facts

  • In Peru and Ecuador the most used name is pez diablo (devil fish); in the Galápagos, brujo.
  • Specimens from the Revillagigedo and Galápagos islands have a more uniform spot in the armpit of the pectoral fin and may represent a separate subspecies, according to STRI.
how to recognize it

identification

Very bony head full of spines, as tall as it is wide, with a deep pit behind the eyes and a smaller one in front of them. It has a ridge under the eye with 3 to 4 spines and many skin appendages on the head and body. The color varies widely: a mottled mix of gray, brown, red, green and black, with dark bars on the tail and, inside the pectoral fin, a dark spot with white dots, often in rows. Juveniles have a sharply defined dark bar at the rear of the body.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

Not found in Brazil. Eastern Pacific, from southern California (USA) to northern Chile, including the Gulf of California and the whole Pacific coast of Central America, and the Revillagigedo, Galápagos, Cocos and Malpelo islands.

Habitat: Shallow rocky shores covered in algae, gravel and sand bottoms, always well camouflaged on the bottom.

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of year
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Fishable all year; no set season, because it is a bottom fish that does not make long migrations.

best time of day

0h6h12h18h sunrise ~6amsunset ~6pm

Night and twilight. Ambush predator that waits motionless on the bottom and grabs whatever passes close by. It is likely more active at dusk and at night (estimate), but it takes bait at any hour.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the pacific spotted scorpionfish
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.

cold and cold fronts

Little direct effect.

atmospheric pressure

Little direct effect.

moon

Little effect.

rain

Little effect.

water level

Not applicable at sea.

noise

Not very sensitive: it stays still and relies on its camouflage.

wind

Rough sea makes rocky-shore and bottom fishing difficult.

tide

Moderate current carries the bait to the fish that is sitting still.

depth

From 0 to 30 m, almost always close to the bottom.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Natural bait on the bottomRocky shoreBottom fishing from a boat
rod
6' to 7', 10 to 20 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel
spinning reel 3000 to 4000
line
braided line 15 to 25 lb
leader
fluorocarbon 25 to 40 lb, 1 m
hook
circle 1/0 to 3/0

lures

  • jig head with shad or silicone shrimp, dragged along the bottom

natural baits

  • shrimp
  • squid strips
  • fish pieces

accessories

  • thick gloves
  • long-nose pliers
  • thick cloth or towel to hold the fish

tip from an angler

If a scorpionfish takes the hook, don't put your hand near it: hold it with thick cloth and long pliers, avoid the spines and, if the hook is hard to remove, cut the leader.

what the law says

rules for the pacific spotted scorpionfish

Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.

Mexico: up to 5 per species and 10 saltwater fish per day

5 specimens of the species per angler per day, within the limit of 10 saltwater fish

In recreational sport fishing in Mexican federal waters, each angler may keep up to 10 marine fish per day, no more than 5 of the same species. The roquero scorpionfish is not among the species reserved for sport fishing (marlin, sailfish, swordfish, tarpon, roosterfish and dorado, up to 50 nautical miles from shore, item 0.3 of the standard) and has no quota of its own. Fish over the limit go back alive, and sport-caught fish may not be sold. No permit is needed when fishing from shore; a permit is required from a boat (Federal Duties Law permits, item 4.3).

Source: Amendment to NOM-017-PESC-1994 (recreational sport fishing in federal waters of Mexico), published in the DOF on Nov 25, 2013, items 0.3, 4.3, 4.9.1, 4.9.5 and 4.11 (Sagarpa/Conapesca)

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.

Handle only with long pliers and thick gloves; hold the fish with a cloth and avoid the spines on the dorsal, anal and pelvic fins. Release it quickly, without dragging it over the rocks. If injured, get out of the water, wash with salt water, soak the injured part in water as hot as the person can stand (about 38 to 45 °C) for 30 to 90 minutes, and seek medical care.

in the kitchen

The flesh is excellent, but almost nobody uses it because of the venomous spines. If you clean it, use gloves and cut the fins carefully.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01349, b = 3.01; 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

—

sources and references

The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.

  1. scientific FishBase: Scorpaena mystes (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology and IUCN status. Page checked on 13/10/2026. The maximum length on this page (45.7 cm) is FishBase's; STRI cites up to 51 cm. FishBase marks the species as traumatogenic because of its venomous spines.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Scorpaena mystesNames by country and language.
  3. scientific Robertson, D. R. & Allen, G. R. (2024). Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Scorpaena mystesDescription, colors, size (up to 51 cm), depth (1 to 100 m) and distribution (southern California to Chile and oceanic islands). Page checked on 13/10/2026.
  4. technical MedlinePlus (NIH): Scorpion fish sting (revisado em 01/07/2025)General first aid for scorpionfish stings: get out of the water, wash with salt water, soak the wound in water as hot as tolerable (about 38 to 45 °C, or as much as the person can stand) for 30 to 90 minutes, and seek medical help promptly. General guidance, not specific to this species.
  5. scientific Grove, J. S.; Lavenberg, R. J. (1997). The fishes of the Galápagos Islands. Stanford: Stanford University Press.FishBase's main reference for the species and for the risk from its spines.
  6. official DOF: Modificação da NOM-017-PESC-1994, para regular a pesca deportivo-recreativa em águas de jurisdição federal do México (publicada em 25/11/2013)Species reserved for sport fishing (item 0.3), permits (4.3 and 4.14), rod and hooks (4.6), bait (4.7), daily quotas at sea (4.9.1) and in fresh water (4.9.2), catch and release (4.9.5), closed areas and seasons (4.10) and the ban on selling the fish (4.11). Text checked Oct 13, 2026. The text carries the signature date of Oct 14, 2013; the DOF publication date (Nov 25, 2013) is the one the catalog already uses.
don't confuse

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