Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California)

Spotted Bay Bass

Paralabrax maculatofasciatus

The bay specialist of Southern California's famous 'three bass', alongside barred sand bass and kelp bass. Covered in orange-brown spots, the 'spottie' lives its whole life inside bays and harbours, is loved by shore anglers, and has a strong catch-and-release culture around it.

Roosterfish

Nematistius pectoralis

The eastern Pacific's iconic inshore gamefish, reserved for sport fishing in Mexico and almost always released. Roosters hunt mullet and sardines in the surf and around rocky points, raising their comb-like dorsal fin when excited.

Pacific Red Snapper

Lutjanus peru

The true Pacific 'huachinango' — a prized red snapper of rocky reefs from Baja to Peru. On Mexico's Gulf coast, though, 'huachinango' means the Atlantic red snapper instead.

Pacific Sierra

Scomberomorus sierra

The most abundant gamefish on the Pacific coast of Mexico and Central America — a schooling Spanish mackerel that slashes bait in the surf and around nearshore reefs, and makes first-class ceviche.

Green Jack

Caranx caballus

A small, green-backed schooling jack of Pacific beaches and reefs — willing on light tackle, abundant from Baja to Panama, and a staple live bait for larger predators as well as a food fish.

Leopard Grouper

Mycteroperca rosacea

⚠ Caution: this Sea of Cortez endemic was listed as IUCN Vulnerable until its 2018 reassessment to Least Concern, and it still forms vulnerable spring spawning aggregations — avoid aggregations in April-May, release large breeders, and respect no-take zones such as Cabo Pulmo. A golden 'queenie' phase occurs alongside the usual spotted pattern.

Sawtail Grouper

Mycteroperca prionura

A Gulf of California endemic grouper recognised by its saw-notched tail. Less common and far less studied than the leopard grouper — IUCN lists it as Data Deficient, so handle with care and favour release.

Barred Pargo

Hoplopagrus guentherii

The Mexican barred snapper — the only member of its genus — is a deep-bodied, dark-barred snapper of rocky reefs near coral, a strong fighter and fine table fish from Baja to Panama.

Spotted Rose Snapper

Lutjanus guttatus

The 'pargo lunarejo' — a pinkish, spotted inshore snapper with one bold black spot, abundant from the Sea of Cortez to Panama and one of the best-eating small snappers on the coast.

Yellow Snapper

Lutjanus argentiventris

A rosy-to-golden Pacific snapper of reefs and mangroves — despite the shared name, it is a completely different species and ocean from the Atlantic yellowtail snapper.

Colorado Snapper

Lutjanus colorado

The deep-red 'pargo colorado' — a uniformly scarlet snapper of Pacific reefs and estuary mouths, barred only as a juvenile, and a staple of Mexican Pacific fish markets.

White Snook

Centropomus viridis

A large, pale Pacific snook — with black snook one of only two Pacific snooks that grow truly big — famous for heavy surf fish at Baja river mouths and for mangrove lagoon fish on the mainland.

Shortfin Corvina

Cynoscion parvipinnis

A steel-blue-backed corvina of Baja's Pacific lagoons and the whole Sea of Cortez, taken south only to about Mazatlán — a bread-and-butter surf and bay fish on light tackle and an excellent table fish.

Gulf Corvina

Cynoscion othonopterus

⚠ IUCN Vulnerable: this upper-Gulf endemic is heavily fished on its Colorado River Delta spawning aggregation — fish responsibly: respect the Biosphere Reserve no-take core and seasonal rules, avoid targeting dense spawning aggregations, and release fish outside the legal fishery. Endemic to the northern Gulf of California, it shares its home water with the protected totoaba.

Orangemouth Corvina

Cynoscion xanthulus

The big orangemouth of the Cortez — a large, predatory corvina that follows anchovy schools through the Gulf and south to Acapulco, instantly told by the yellow-orange lining of its mouth.

Gulf Croaker

Bairdiella icistia

A small Cortez croaker (FishBase's common name for Bairdiella icistia is simply 'Bairdiella') that schools over sand and mud in Gulf bays. It was once stocked in California's Salton Sea, but that introduced population has crashed and is gone — in Mexico it remains a common little bottom fish and bait-stealer.

Mexican Barracuda

Sphyraena ensis

A schooling Pacific barracuda — the picuda — that hunts baitfish over inshore reefs from Guaymas down the mainland to Guatemala, smaller and more social than the solitary great barracuda of the Atlantic.

Finescale Triggerfish

Balistes polylepis

The cochi — the largest eastern Pacific triggerfish — patrols rocky reefs of the Cortez and Baja, cracking sea urchins and crabs with powerful beak-like jaws; a tough-fighting, thick-skinned bottom fish.

Bullseye Puffer

Sphoeroides annulatus

The botete diana — a common puffer of Cortez sand flats, marked by a bullseye ring on its back. Anglers catch it constantly on shrimp baits, but it must be handled and eaten with real caution (see edibility).

Pacific Crevalle Jack

Caranx caninus

The eastern Pacific sister species of the Atlantic crevalle jack — a schooling, hard-running predator of surf beaches, estuary mouths and nearshore bait schools from Baja to Panama. Revered for its fight rather than its flesh.

Gafftopsail Pompano

Trachinotus rhodopus

A small yellow-finned Pacific pompano of sandy surf beaches — from Baja and the Sea of Cortez down the Mexican mainland coast, taken on sand crabs, shrimp and small jigs in the wash.

Broomtail Grouper

Mycteroperca xenarcha

The broomtail grouper is a large Pacific Mycteroperca named for the ragged, broom-like margin of its tail fin, with juveniles in mangroves and adults on rocky reefs and wrecks from Baja to Panama. Catches have declined, so big fish matter for the spawning stock.

Burrito Grunt

Anisotremus interruptus

A schooling eastern Pacific grunt that shelters in reef caves and crevices by day and spreads out to feed at night. It is a mainstay of Sea of Cortez and Mexican Pacific reef fishing.

Pacific Spadefish

Chaetodipterus zonatus

The Pacific twin of the Atlantic spadefish — a deep, disc-shaped fish of Mexican Pacific bays and reefs. It is a classic nibbler and notoriously difficult to catch on hook and line.

Golden Snapper

Lutjanus inermis

A small, schooling eastern Pacific snapper of rocky and coral reefs, recognised by its plain golden-yellow colour. It hovers in daytime groups over reef and is a minor local food fish, not a trophy target.

Blackblotch Pompano

Trachinotus kennedyi

The big Pacific pompano of surf and estuaries, common from Magdalena Bay and the southern Gulf of California to Ecuador. It is a strong, deep-bodied coastal fighter and a valued local food fish.

Paloma Pompano

Trachinotus paitensis

A slim Pacific pompano of surf and bays, ranging from southern California to Chile but common only from Baja southward. It schools over sand, feeds on bottom invertebrates and is a pleasant light-tackle surf catch.

Lucas Barracuda

Sphyraena lucasana

The Sea of Cortez's own barracuda, centred on southern Baja California and the Gulf of California. Smaller and more local than the great barracuda, it ambushes baitfish around rocky points and is a favourite light-tackle quarry in the Cortez.