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🌊 Marine Vulnerable 🍽️ Edible 🎣 Game Fish 🌡️ Subtropical

Totoaba

Totoaba macdonaldi Gilbert, 1890
Max Length
200 cm
Max Weight
100.0 kg
Lifespan
24 yrs
Trophic Level
4.1
Depth
-
Climate
Subtropical
Resilience
Low
Vulnerability
71.00/100
Typical Length
-
Depth Zone
-

📖 Overview

Found in coastal waters; juveniles in river mouths and near rocky coasts . Feed on fishes and shrimps .

Scientific Name
Totoaba macdonaldi
Authority
Gilbert, 1890
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Subtropical
IUCN Status
VU
Max Length
200 cm
Max Weight
100 kg
Lifespan
24 years
Trophic Level
4.1
Resilience
Low
Vulnerability
71.00/100
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🐟 Physical Description

Physical description for Totoaba is currently being compiled.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Totoaba is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

small fish
crustaceans
cephalopods

🥚 Reproduction

🐣 Oviparous 📦 Batch Spawner
Spawning Season
spring-summer
Spawn Location
Pelagic
Fertilization
External

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; brackish; benthopelagic; depth range 10 - ? m. Subtropical; 32°N - 17°N Central Pacific: Gulf of California.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine 🌿 Brackish
Trophic Level
4.1±0.7
Food Items

fishes and shrimps (Ref

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.00692 × L3.05 (TL)
Max TL
200cm
Max Weight
100,000g

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Vulnerable
Assessment Date
2020

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Low
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
71.00/100
High vulnerability
Trophic Level
4.1
Apex / Top predator
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Described By
Gilbert, 1890

🎣 Angling Guide

Difficulty
Beginner
Fight Rating
strong pulls with head-shakes
Best Seasons
spring,summer,fall
Best Time
incoming tide, dawn and dusk
Line Weight
15-30
Rod Type
medium-heavy spinning
Hook Size
2/0-5/0
Catch & Release
✓ Recommended
Best Months
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Techniques
bottom fishing popping cork soft plastics live bait
Bait & Lures
live shrimp cut mullet soft plastic paddle-tails popping corks
Recommended Tackle
  • medium-heavy 7ft spinning rod
  • 30-50 lb braid
  • fluorocarbon leader
Where to Find Them
  • grass flats
  • oyster bars
  • marsh drains
  • deeper channel edges
Tips & Tricks
Popping cork technique attracts fish from distance. Fish moving tides.
Catch & Release Tips

Use barbless hooks, minimise air exposure, and revive fish head-first in current before release.

Regulations Summary

⚠️ Slot limits protect breeding-size fish. Verify daily bag limits.

🍽️ Edibility & Flavour

"Totoaba is an edible species."

✗ Not for Raw
✓ Fresh Indicators
  • Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
  • Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
  • Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
  • Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
  • Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
✗ Avoid If
  • Cloudy or sunken eyes
  • Strong fishy or ammonia odour
  • Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
  • Discoloured or dry flesh
Best Cooking Methods
Baking Grilling Pan-frying

⚡ Nutrition

Per 100g cooked - Source: USDA FoodData Central

Nutrient Amount
Protein 19.9 g
Omega-3 (total) 305 mg

🔬 Mercury Safety

Mercury data for Totoaba has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.

🌿 Sustainability

Best Choice
Healthy stocks, low impact
Good Alternative
Well-managed, minor concerns
Use Caution
Check sourcing and season
Avoid
Overfished or high impact

🔬 Full Nutritional Profile

Per 100g - Raw, per 100g - Source: USDA FoodData Central templates (lean white fish average)

Proximate Composition
Energy90 kcal
Moisture80 %
Protein18 %
Total Fat1.2 %
Ash1.2 %
Fatty Acids (g)
Saturated Fat0.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat0.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat0.4 g
Omega-3 Total0.3 g
EPA0.08 g
DHA0.15 g
Omega-6 Total0.05 g
Key Minerals & Vitamins
Calcium18 mg
Iron0.4 mg
Magnesium30 mg
Phosphorus200 mg
Potassium380 mg
Sodium60 mg
Zinc0.4 mg
Selenium30 µg
Vitamin B60.3 mg
Vitamin B121 µg

📊 Population Dynamics

Year Region Index Notes
- - -

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Language Common Names
🇬🇧English Drum · totoaba
🌍CES smuha MacDonaldova
🇫🇮Finnish Isoveltto
🇫🇷French Acoupa Totoaba
🌍HEB טוטואבה
🇵🇹Portuguese Corvinata-totuava
🇷🇺Russian Тотоаба
🇪🇸Spanish Cabicucho · Corvinata totoaba · Curvina blanca · totoaba · totuava
🇸🇪Swedish Kalifornisk vekfisk
🇨🇳Chinese 加利福尼亞灣石首魚

Scientific Synonyms

Scientific Name Author Year Status
Cynoscion macdonaldi Gilbert 1890 Synonym

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 3 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

Aquareap Community Observations
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