Federal minimum size (25 cm) in the Southeast and South
25 cm (TL)ESRJSPPRSCRSSoutheast CoastSouth Coast
Fishing for, keeping on board or landing croaker under 25 cm total length is prohibited on the coast of ES, RJ, SP, PR, SC and RS.
catalog
Sciaenidae · predator
whitemouth croaker
Micropogonias furnieri
EstuarySea
The most fished fish on the beaches of the South and Southeast. Bites shrimp and corrupto on the bottom, by day and at night.
Also called: corvina, cururuca (Norte e Nordeste), corvineta (pequena)
- common size
- 30–50 cm
- maximum
- 75 cm
- common weight
- 0.4–2 kg
- record/max.
- 5.0 kg
- depth
- 1–40 m
- ideal water
- 18–26 °C
overview
who is the whitemouth croaker
The whitemouth croaker (corvina) is the most fished fish on beaches in the South and Southeast and one of the main resources of artisanal and industrial fishing. It lives on sand and mud bottoms, from beaches to estuaries and lagoons, and down to about 40 m. It eats shrimp, polychaetes, crabs and small fish it digs for on the bottom. It drums: it contracts muscles on the swim bladder and makes a drumming sound, heard from spawning schools. Strong fishing is in spring and summer, when it enters beaches and inlets to spawn; in winter it moves to deeper water. In surf casting it bites well in channels and gutters with the tide flooding, by day and especially at night.
fun facts
- The croakers' drumming during spawning can be heard from inside the boat.
- Otoliths (ear stones) show growth rings, like tree rings, and are used to estimate age.
how to recognize it
identification
Elongated body, arched back, mouth underneath the snout with 3 to 5 pairs of small barbels on the chin. Silvery-golden back with dark oblique stripes following the scale rows; serrated preopercle. Difference from the miraguaia: this one is much taller and has many barbels. From the betara: the betara has a single thick barbel. From the weakfish: the weakfish has no barbel.
how whitemouth croaker fishing looks
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.
distribution
open on the large map where found
The whole coast, most abundant from Rio de Janeiro to Rio Grande do Sul, including Lagoa dos Patos. In the North and Northeast it is called cururuca.
Habitat: Sand and mud bottoms of beaches, surf channels, estuaries, coastal lagoons and bays.
native to the basins
South Atlantic
coast
North CoastNortheast CoastSoutheast CoastSouth Coastcoastalshelf
states
Amapá, Pará, Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul
when to fish
best season
time of yearbest: Oct–Mar
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Spring and summer (October to March) concentrate the croaker on beaches, bars and estuaries in the South and Southeast. In winter it moves off into deeper bottoms and beach fishing drops.
best time of day
Night and twilight. Bites by day, but does best in the late afternoon and at night, especially on murky beaches.
what affects the whitemouth croaker
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
cold and cold fronts
Water below 16 °C drives the croaker away from the shore.
atmospheric pressure
Before a cold front the bite improves; soon after, rough seas and cold water shut it down.
moon
New-moon nights and big tides often produce on the beach.
rain
Rain doesn't bother it; slightly murky water even helps.
water level
A very dirty surge changes the channels; two or three days later, when the sea calms, the beach is usually very good.
noise
Not very sensitive on the beach; from a boat, avoid bumping the hull over the school.
wind
Strong onshore wind makes waves and drags the sinker; use a grapnel sinker.
tide
On the beach, the two hours before and after high tide are best: the rising tide fills the gutters and brings food. On the falling tide, fish the mouths of the return channels. At low-tide slack the bite drops.
depth
Channels and gutters 1 to 4 m on the beach; 5 to 40 m from a boat.
how to fish
- rod
- beach: 3.9 to 4.5 m (13 to 15 ft), 100 to 200 g; boat: 6'6", 15 to 30 lb
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- 5000 to 7000 surf reel
- line
- monofilament 0.30 to 0.35 mm or 20 lb braid with shock leader
- leader
- 0.50 to 0.60 mm shock leader; rig of 2 hooks
- hook
- maruseigo or chinu 1 to 2/0
lures
- jig head with silicone shrimp dragged along the bottom
natural baits
- shrimp (live or fresh)
- corrupto
- beach worm (polychaete)
- tatuí (sand crab)
- sardine fillet
- squid strips
accessories
- grapnel or pyramid sinker 80 to 150 g
- rod holder
- headlamp
tip from an angler
Find the gutter: on the beach, the croaker moves along the deeper channels between the sandbars. Cast beyond the second break and keep the line taut; the bite comes in dry taps.
ready-made kit
beach and surf casting
Sand fishing with sinker and natural bait beyond the surf, after pompano, betara and croaker.
ready-made kitsnook in mangroves and estuaries
Boat or kayak fishing in mangroves, channels, brackish rivers and under bridges, with artificial lures and live shrimp, following the tide.
guidebasic sonar: how to read the fishfinder
Understand how sonar sees underwater, what each mark on the screen means, and how to adjust the unit to find bottom, structure and fish.
guidehow to read the beach and rocky shore
Find troughs, sandbars and rip currents, choose tide and time, and fish the rocky shore without risking your life.
guidetides and moon in fishing
Spring and neap tides, high and low tide, slack water, rising and falling tide, tide tables and solunar theory: what really matters and how to use it without fanaticism.
rules for the whitemouth 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 national list of threatened species; stocks are under heavy commercial fishing.
Minimum size: 25 cm
ESRJSPPRSCRSSoutheast CoastSouth Coast
Source: IN MMA nº 53/2005 (coast from ES to RS; total length)
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.
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.
A small croaker hooked deep swallows the hook: use a circle hook, cut the line close if it won't come out easily, and release quickly.
in the kitchen
White, tasty meat. Fried in steaks, stewed, baked or escabeche.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00955, b = 3.02; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana, comprimento total)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
—
sources and references
The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.
- scientific FishBase — Micropogonias furnieri (ficha da espécie)Names, distribution, biology, length-weight relationship and references. Page checked on October 13, 2026.
- 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)Most recent national list. The species is not on it (search by scientific name in the text published in the DOU, checked on October 13, 2026).
- official ICMBio/SALVE — Ficha de Micropogonias furnieri (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)ICMBio national assessment, published in 2025. DOI checked on Crossref.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Micropogonias furnieri (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 30/07/2019)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- scientific Vazzoler, G. (1962). Sobre a biologia da corvina da costa sul do Brasil. Boletim do Instituto Oceanográfico 12(1): 53–102.
- scientific Carpenter, K. E. (org.) (2002). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Vol. 3: Bony fishes part 2 (Opistognathidae to Molidae). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. Roma: FAO.Chapter Sciaenidae (Chao, N. L.).
- scientific Menezes, N. A.; Buckup, P. A.; Figueiredo, J. L.; Moura, R. L. (orgs.) (2003). Catálogo das espécies de peixes marinhos do Brasil. São Paulo: Museu de Zoologia da USP. 160 p.List of the marine species recorded in Brazil. Printed work; the URL is the bibliographic record in FishBase, which cites the catalogue for the species.
