Saltwater · Year-round around reefs and kelp; spawning in late spring–summer, best fishing spring–fall.
Black Croaker
Cheilotrema saturnum
A dark, perch-shaped croaker of Southern California and Baja rocky reefs — the 'China croaker' — that shelters in caves and crevices by day and feeds around kelp and reef edges.
Seasons · Peak
Identifying features
- Dark dusky to purplish-brown body with silvery belly
- Black rear edge of the gill cover
- Pale bar at mid-body in many fish
- Perch-like deep body with a blunt head and chin pores
Habits
- Shelters in caves and crevices, often in small groups
- Feeds on small crustaceans and molluscs around reefs
- Juveniles school; adults more solitary or in small groups
- Can live over 20 years; spawns late spring–summer
Distribution
Where to find them
- Rocky headlands of Baja's Pacific coast
- Kelp-bed edges and reef caves
- Northern Sea of Cortez rocky shores (disjunct sandy-bottom population there)
Where they live
How to catch them
Reef bottom bait Boat
Rig: Mussel or shrimp on a small-hook dropper rig
Bait/lure: Squid strips
Key tip: Drop baits tight to reef edges and cave mouths; expect snags.
Kelp-edge fishing Shore
Rig: Small bait pieces cast to kelp edges from rocks
Bait/lure: Shrimp under a small float
Key tip: Fish rocky shore and kelp edges at dawn and dusk.
Best baits & lures
Baseline setup
- Rod: Light-medium 7 ft spinning rod
- Line: 12–20 lb line
- Terminal: Size 4–1 hooks, dropper loops, 1–2 oz sinkers
Recommended gear for this species
Rod · Best value
7'6" medium-heavy jigging rod
≈ US$110-170
Works 2-6 oz jigs over rock and reef and still has the backbone to lift a halibut off the bottom.
Line · Budget
50 lb braid with 40 lb leader (200 yd)
≈ US$25-40
Thin braid cuts the current so jigs stay vertical; the leader shrugs off rock and teeth.
Terminal · Budget
Leadhead jigs, swimbaits and two-hook bottom rigs
≈ US$25-40
A leadhead with a swimbait tail is the universal bottom-fish catcher, from rockfish to cod to flounder.
Picks are never paid placements. Prices are guides; price links are coming soon and none is an affiliate link yet.
Typical size
Maximum recorded about 42–45 cm TL; typical adults around 30 cm and up to about 2 lb (0.9 kg).
On the table
Good — firm flesh; follow local consumption advisories in urban Southern California bays.
Similar species
Gulf CroakerGulf croaker is pale and silvery over open sand and mud; black croaker is dark and tied to rock, caves and kelp.
Zebra PerchZebra perch is a barred, algae-eating oval fish of very shallow reef flats; black croaker is an unbarred (or faint-barred) dark croaker that eats invertebrates and shelters in caves.Regulations vary by area and can change in-season — always check the official rules for your area before you fish. Regulations guide →
Plan a trip for Black Croaker
Build today's plan⚠ Heads-up: Black Croaker doesn't occur around Vancouver, BC (or is very rare there), so it's not a sensible local target. Your plan stays in Vancouver, BC and is built around the fish that actually live there.