mottled soapfish
Rypticus bicolor · Grammistidae · predator
Soapfish of eastern Pacific rocky reefs, which hides in caves and crevices and hunts small fish at night.
Also called: peixe-sabão-malhado, peixe-sabão, pez jabón, Mottled soapfish
- maximum
- 28 cm
- depth
- 3–68 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…
—
hour by hour
slide your finger or mouse over the chart to see each hoursee 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 mottled soapfish
who is the mottled soapfish
The mottled soapfish belongs to the family Grammistidae and reaches 28 cm. It lives on rocky reefs of the eastern Pacific, from Mexico to Peru, including the Galápagos and other islands far from the coast, between 3 and 68 m deep. It usually shelters in caves and crevices, but is also seen in open areas. It stays still, often on its side, in dark crevices, and has a protruding lower jaw. It is taken commercially, and it hunts small fish at night.
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 mottled soapfish.
fun facts
- At night it actively hunts small fish, and by day it stays still and hidden in dark crevices.
identification
Flanks with pale spots from cream to light brown on a dark background, reaching the base of the fins. The spots are poorly defined and often merge. The lower jaw is projecting, with a fleshy bump, and the underside of the jaw has small pores in groups, in larger specimens. The body and head have scales embedded in the skin.
where found
Lives in the eastern Pacific, from Mexico to Peru, including the Galápagos.
Habitat: Rocky reefs, 3 to 68 m, with caves and crevices.
when to fish
best time of day
Nighttime. It stays still and hidden in dark crevices and actively hunts at night, after small fish.
rules for the mottled soapfish
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.
Harmless to anglers. Like other soapfishes, it can release a toxic mucus that harms other fish, so do not keep it in the same bucket or live well as the other catch. If it comes from deeper bottom, it can suffer barotrauma: release it carefully.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01738, b = 3.01; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). 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.
- scientific FishBase: Rypticus bicolor (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Rypticus bicolorNames by country and language.
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: