About Popeye Catalufa
The popeye catalufa is a small, deep-bodied reef fish, bright red, with eyes that look too big for its head. It belongs to the bigeye family, a group of mostly night-active fish that shelter in the reef during the day.
FishBase lists it in the eastern Pacific from Monterey Bay south to Peru. It lives on rocky reef, usually in deeper water, so Southern California anglers mostly meet one on a rockfish or reef trip.
Telling It Apart
Red fish come up all day on a rockfish trip, but this one stands out. The eye is huge compared with the head, the body is short and deep, and the color is a solid, bright red. If you are not sure, take a photo before it goes back.
How to Catch
Nobody books a trip for popeye catalufa. They come up as a bonus while you fish the reef for rockfish and other bottom fish. If you plan to release one, be quick about it. A fish pulled from deeper reef can struggle with the pressure change, and a descending device gives it a better chance.
Eating Profile
We found no California angler reports on how they eat. It is a small fish, and most anglers keep it for a photo, not the table.
Common Mistakes
- Calling it a rockfish. It is red and comes up on rockfish trips, but it is a different family.
- Slow releases. Fish from deeper water need to get back down fast.
- Skipping the regulations check. No species-specific rule turned up in our research, but the general finfish limit and your trip's groundfish rules still apply.
When to Look
There is no published California season. Fish City counts list popeye catalufa only now and then, with most reports in late summer. Check Marina del Rey charters and Oxnard charters for current reef trips.
