Bilagay
The bilagay is a mid-sized marine reef fish native to Chile's Pacific coast, found from the far north down to the Los Lagos region.
It's a target for spearfishers drawn to its white, firm flesh, and it turns up in artisanal coastal fisheries throughout the country. Not a conventional rod-and-reel quarry, but worth knowing for anyone fishing rocky inshore structure along the Chilean coast.
Scientific Name: Cheilodactylus variegatus
Also known as Pintadilla, Pintacha, Pintaria, Bilagayo, Bielagayo, Breca
- Olive-grey body crossed by 6–7 pale vertical bands on the rear half; fins — pectoral, ventral, anal, and caudal — are distinctively edged in bright orange-red.
- Thick, fleshy, protruding lips are the most recognizable feature up close; the mouth sits slightly below the snout tip rather than at the front.
- Forked tail with the upper lobe noticeably longer than the lower; the last few lower pectoral-fin rays are elongated and unbranched.
- Most adults run 20–35 cm; the species tops out around 44 cm and roughly 1 kg.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to the Southeast Pacific — runs from Paita, Peru south to Talcahuano, Chile, covering the full length of Chile's coast from the Atacama north to the Los Lagos region.
- Lives on rocky reef bottoms, particularly where kelp forests (macroalgae beds) and black sea-urchin aggregations provide cover and foraging ground.
- Benthopelagic — spends its time close to the bottom rather than in open water, moving among rocks and algae canopy.
- A gregarious species; tends to be found in loose groups rather than as solitary individuals.
Key Locations
- Rocky inshore reefs along the Norte Chico and central coast, where kelp forests are well developed and bilagay populations are most accessible to spearfishers.
- The Talcahuano area (Biobío region) is specifically noted in scientific records as a known location for the species on the Chilean coast.
- The species ranges continuously from the far north of Chile south to the Los Lagos region, so any rocky reef coastline within that range is potential habitat.
Specific Spots
- Rocky reef edges and boulder fields with dense kelp canopy overhead — the fish use the algae for cover and hunt invertebrates in the crevices below.
- Areas with heavy black sea-urchin populations, which the bilagay actively forages around, using its thick lips to vacuum prey from rock surfaces.
- Undercut ledges and rock faces where bivalves, limpets, and encrusting invertebrates concentrate — the fish work these surfaces methodically.
Bilagay FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Bilagay?
Natural baits, mussel, limpet, small crab, or pieces of sea urchin, fished on a simple bottom rig tight to rocky structure are the most consistent approach, matching the invertebrate diet directly.
How do you catch Bilagay?
Bilagay are targeted almost exclusively by spearfishers working rocky reef and kelp-forest habitat along the coast. Rod-and-reel anglers encounter them incidentally when bottom-fishing with natural baits near structure.
What do Bilagay eat?
Juveniles pick small crustaceans, amphipods and similar tiny shrimp-like invertebrates, from rock and algae surfaces; this stage responds to small soft-plastic or natural-bait presentations near structure.
Where do Bilagay live?
Native to the Southeast Pacific, runs from Paita, Peru south to Talcahuano, Chile, covering the full length of Chile's coast from the Atacama north to the Los Lagos region.
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