argentine croaker
Umbrina canosai
Fish of sand and mud bottoms, from the coast of Rio de Janeiro to Argentina, with very heavy commercial fishing.
Also called: castanha, corvina-riscada, pargo blanco, verrugato pargo, argentine croaker
- maximum
- 53 cm
- depth
- 10–100 m
who is the argentine croaker
The castanha is a fish of the family Sciaenidae, with a spindle-shaped body and many dark lengthwise stripes on the upper part. It reaches 53.3 cm. It lives on sand and mud bottoms, from 10 to 100 m, and is especially abundant around 100 m. It occurs from Cabo de São Tomé, in Rio de Janeiro, to Buenos Aires province, passing through Uruguay. It has a very strong commercial fishery in the region and can live up to 26 years.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the argentine croaker; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- It can live to 26 years of age.
identification
The upper part of the body has many dark lengthwise stripes, the main feature for identifying it. It has no well-defined dark spots at the base of the pectoral fins, which helps tell it apart from other croakers on the same coast. It lives on sand and mud bottoms, between 10 and 100 m, and reaches 53 cm.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
It lives in the southwestern Atlantic, from Cabo de São Tomé (RJ) to the coast of Buenos Aires, passing through Uruguay. In Latin America it occurs in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.
Habitat: Sand and mud bottoms, 10 to 100 m, most abundant around 100 m.
coast
rules for the argentine croaker
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: Not on the Brazilian national list (Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA No. 1.667/2026).
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
It is harmless to handle. Release the specimens you are not going to keep, without leaving them long out of the water.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01023, b = 3.07; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Umbrina canosai (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Umbrina canosaiNames by country and language.
- official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.
