barred surfperch
Amphistichus argenteus · Embiotocidae · predator
Surfperch of the sandy beaches of the Mexican Pacific, which lives in the surf zone. It is caught from the beach, from piers and from small boats.
Also called: perca-de-faixas, mojarra de bandas, barred surfperch
- maximum
- 43 cm
- record/max.
- 2.0 kg
- depth
- 0–73 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
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 barred surfperch
who is the barred surfperch
Surfperch of the family Embiotocidae, with a fusiform body, which lives in the surf zone of sandy beaches. It reaches 43 cm and 2 kg, and the common size is 30 cm. It forms small groups and mainly eats sand crabs, but also clams and other invertebrates. It is viviparous: the female carries the young. It also turns up in trawls down to 73 m deep and near rocks and pilings. It occurs from Bodega Bay, in California, to northern central Baja California. It is caught from the beach, from piers and from small boats, and it is of sport interest.
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 barred surfperch; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Mainly eats sand crabs and also clams.
identification
Fusiform surfperch, typical of sandy-beach surfperches, and the common name refers to the bands that mark the body. It reaches 43 cm, much larger than the calico surfperch (Amphistichus koelzi), which reaches 31 cm. The two live in the same surf zone, so size and body markings help tell them apart.
where found
From Bodega Bay, in California, to northern central Baja California; in Latin America, only in Mexico, on sandy beaches.
Habitat: Surf zone of sandy beaches, and soft bottoms down to 73 m deep.
rules for the barred surfperch
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 has no dangerous spines and no venom. Anglers fishing from the beach should be careful of the waves.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01318, b = 3.05; 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: Amphistichus argenteus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Amphistichus argenteusNames 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: