The Mexican moonfish, also known as lookdown (Selene vomer), is a silvery, laterally compressed fish found in the western Atlantic, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Characterized by its distinctive flattened body and steep forehead, the Mexican moonfish is primarily harvested as bycatch in commercial trawl and gillnet fisheries rather than being a targeted species. The top countries involved in the harvest of Mexican moonfish are Mexico and the United States, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico region where the species is most abundant. In Mexico, artisanal and small-scale fisheries land the species for local consumption, while in the United States, it is occasionally marketed fresh or used as bait. Although not a major commercial species compared to others in the region, the Mexican moonfish contributes to the diverse catch of mixed-species fisheries along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
| Rank | Country | Metric Tons |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ecuador | 195 |
Data from FAO. 2025. Global Capture Production. In: Fisheries and Aquaculture.