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fishing forecast

eastern pacific bonefish

Albula esuncula · Albulidae · predator

EstuarySeaessential profile

Silvery bonefish of marine and brackish waters of the eastern Pacific, a relative of the bonefish famous in sport fishing. It turns up now and then on fishing lines.

Also called: ubarana-do-Pacífico-oriental, macabí, macabí del Pacífico oriental, eastern pacific bonefish

Scientific illustration of Eastern Pacific bonefish
maximum
32 cm
location

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period

Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…

the species

everything about the eastern pacific bonefish

overview

who is the eastern pacific bonefish

A fish of the family Albulidae, the bonefishes, with an elongated, silvery body, reaching 32 cm. It lives in marine and brackish waters, near reefs, from southern Gulf of California, Mexico, to at least Ecuador, with presence in Central America and Colombia. It spawns in open sea, and the eggs are pelagic, that is, they float freely in the water. In fishing, it turns up on the line now and then. The family is known as a sport fish in other regions.

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 eastern pacific bonefish; in the meantime, see the similar species.

how to recognize it

identification

Elongated, spindle-shaped body, flattened on the sides and silvery, like other bonefishes. The bonefishes of the eastern Pacific look very much alike, and the Pacific thread bonefish occurs in the same region: separating the two species requires a specialist's examination, and color and shape are not enough.

distribution

where found

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Eastern Pacific, from southern Gulf of California, Mexico, to at least Ecuador, including Central America and Colombia.

Habitat: Marine and brackish waters, near reefs.

what the law says

rules for the eastern pacific bonefish

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 venom or dangerous spines. Handle it with wet hands and release it quickly.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01175, b = 3.04; 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: Albula esuncula (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 Albula esunculaNames by country and language.
don't confuse

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