IndigeFish · TideRead

Bite Predictor · v1.2 · SB → SD

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Species library · 29 entries

Know your fish.

Every species in the TideRead catalog gets its own deep dive — habitat, life history, what they eat, when they bite, how to rig for them, and the legal regulations. Click any species to learn more.

All claims cross-reference SPECIES-EVIDENCE.md — the full scientific evidence manual.

California Halibut

Paralichthys californicus

Both eyes on left side, mouth large extending past the eye, top dark mottled (matches sand), bottom white. Lateral line straight then arches over pectoral fin.

60–66°F22" min5 (south of Pt. Sur)

California Corbina

Menticirrhus undulatus

Long slender body, single small barbel on chin (drum-family signature), silvery flanks with faint diagonal bars when feeding, dark-blue dorsal

Barred Surfperch

Amphistichus argenteus

Silver with 8–11 dark vertical bars on sides (the bars give it the name), deep oval body, terminal mouth

Yellowfin Croaker

Umbrina roncador

Yellow fins (vivid); silvery body with diagonal wavy stripes; single chin barbel

Spotfin & White Croaker

Roncador stearnsii / Genyonemus lineatus

Spotfin — black spot at upper gill cover base; brassy silver. White — single chin barbel, longitudinal pencil-line markings, brassy underside.

California Sheephead

Semicossyphus pulcher

Females — reddish-pink, more uniform. Males — black head + tail, red mid-body, white chin, prominent forehead bump (cephalic hump). Juveniles — bright orange with white stripes.

58–68°F12" min5

California Kelp Bass

Paralabrax clathratus

Mottled brown-green back with creamy belly; large mouth extending past the eye; rays in the dorsal fin show pale spots (key ID vs sand bass)

62–72°F14" min5 combined (Calico + Sand + Spotted)

Barred Sand Bass

Paralabrax nebulifer

Uniform brown-gray, faint vertical bars on sides, large mouth, body more elongated than calico

62–72°F14" min5 combined (Calico + Sand + Spotted)

Sarda chiliensis

Tuna-shape, dark blue-green back with several longitudinal dark stripes (only striped tuna-family fish in SoCal nearshore), silvery sides, deeply forked tail

Pacific Mackerel

Scomber japonicus

Iridescent green-blue back with wavy black bars ("tabby cat" pattern), silver belly. Pacific mackerel is shorter and stouter than Jack Mackerel.

60–70°F12" min

California Barracuda

Sphyraena argentea

Long slender body, prominent lower jaw with sharp teeth, dark blotches along upper sides, silver lower body, deeply forked tail

64–72°F28" min10

California Yellowtail

Seriola dorsalis

Yellow tail (obviously), green-brown back with a yellow lateral stripe, robust body

Girella nigricans

Dark olive-gray, oval body, distinctive opal-blue eye (the name), white tail-base spots in juveniles

Atractoscion nobilis

Silvery blue-gray back, brassy flanks, single broad dorsal fin, dark spot inside pectoral fin base (key ID). Juveniles have 3–6 dark vertical bars that fade with age.

60–68°F28" min3 (1 north of Pt. Conception in spawning closure)

Spotfin Croaker

Roncador stearnsii

Steel-gray back with brassy sheen, distinctive large BLACK SPOT at the base of the pectoral fin (the 'spot fin' — diagnostic), short barbel under chin, blunt head profile

Queenfish (Herring)

Seriphus politus

Silvery elongate body, lower jaw projecting slightly past upper, two distinct dorsal fins separated by a gap (key ID — distinguishes from white croaker), yellowish fins

Atherinopsis californiensis

Long silvery body, bright silver lateral stripe, smaller mouth than queenfish, dark blue-green back, slightly upturned jaw

Pacific Sanddab

Citharichthys sordidus

Light tan body with brown speckles, both eyes on LEFT side, large eyes (deeper-water adaptation), mouth small relative to halibut

Triakis semifasciata

Slender body, distinctive dark saddle markings AND dark spots along the back ("leopard" pattern), small mouth, no anal fin lobe modification

60–72°F36" min3 (combined with other sharks)

Myliobatis californica

Dark brown to black diamond-shaped body, prominent forehead bulge (the "bat ears"), long whip tail with venomous serrated spine near the base, no white spots

Spotted Bay Bass

Paralabrax maculatofasciatus

Olive-brown back, dark spots scattered (not in rows like sand bass), 3 dorsal spines, pectoral fin extends past anal fin origin (key vs. sand bass), more compact body than calico

62–72°F14" min5 (combined with sand bass and calico)

Pleuronichthys guttulatus

Distinctly diamond-shaped (taller than wide), both eyes on RIGHT side (vs halibut's left), small mouth, blue-spotted dark side, pale belly. Often half-buried in mud.

California Scorpionfish (Sculpin)

Scorpaena guttata

Stout body, large head with bony ridges, mottled reddish-brown with darker spots, FAN-LIKE PECTORAL FINS, multiple venomous dorsal/anal/pelvic spines. Often described as 'a head with fins.'

54–64°F10" min5 (combined with shallow rockfish in some seasons)

Scorpaenichthys marmoratus

Massive head, scaleless skin (DIAGNOSTIC — completely smooth), single broad dorsal fin, mottled red/brown/green coloring, large dark blotch above pectoral fin. Looks prehistoric.

50–60°F15" min3 (combined with shallow rockfish)

Ophiodon elongatus

Long slender body, MASSIVE MOUTH with 18+ sharp teeth (including 2 fangs at front), single long dorsal fin, mottled gray/brown/green/blue, can be bright blue-green flesh (biliverdin, harmless)

48–58°F22" min2 (south of Pt. Conception)

Vermilion Rockfish

Sebastes miniatus

Brilliant orange-red body (the namesake "vermilion"), black spots on dorsal fin, slightly forked tail, large eye, big mouth. Often confused with other red rockfishes.

48–58°F12" min10 (combined in Rockfish-Cabezon-Greenling complex)

Medialuna californiensis

Blue-gray oval body (the "half-moon" curve), small mouth, slightly forked tail, dark dorsal fin with white edge in some specimens

Hypsypops rubicundus

BRILLIANT ORANGE adults — unmistakable, largest damselfish in the eastern Pacific. Juveniles are orange-red with brilliant blue spots that fade with age.

Rhacochilus vacca

Deep oval silvery body, dark vertical bar mid-side fading in adults, DEEPLY FORKED TAIL (key vs. other perches), small mouth, dusky fins. Larger than most other perches.