Longfin Bigeye

Sightings

2026 season, every one sourced

Photos

From California this season

No photos yet. If you photographed this animal in California this season, post it to the Coastal Bulletin.

Home Range

Where it normally lives

Tropical seas worldwide; in the eastern Pacific from Baja California to Peru.

Range source: FishBase · LAist, Oct 2026, quoting Bill Ludt, Natural History Museum of LA County

This bigeye lives in tropical seas around the world, from South Africa to Japan and Australia, and in the western Atlantic. In the eastern Pacific its range runs from Baja California to Peru. Adults live deep, usually around 540 to 655 feet.

Identification

On the longfin bigeye, the last spine of the dorsal fin is twice as long as the second. It can reach about 27 inches and 11 pounds, though most are closer to 12 inches. FishBase records an age of 9 years.

Natural History

Adults stay near hard bottom, where they shelter in holes and under ledges, often among sponges and soft corals. Young longfin bigeyes drift in open water before they settle. The species feeds on crustaceans that swim in the open water, and adults are usually found alone.

In California

An angler caught a longfin bigeye from the Venice Fishing Pier in Los Angeles on August 24, 2026. Bill Ludt of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County told LAist it was the first one ever recorded in California.

Taxonomy

Rarity

Rarity in the compendium is how often the animal has been reported on the California coast this season, not how rare it is where it normally lives. It moves as new sightings come in.