castin leatherjacket
Oligoplites saliens
Silver, jumping jack of beaches and estuaries. Strikes fast surface lures; watch out for the spines.
Also called: guaivira, guavira, salteira, solteira, tibiro
- common size
- 25–40 cm
- maximum
- 50 cm
- common weight
- 0.2–0.6 kg
- record/max.
- 0.9 kg
- depth
- 0–40 m
- ideal water
- 21–28 °C
who is the castin leatherjacket
The guaivira is an elongated, very compressed jack with smooth silvery skin, common on beaches, bays and estuaries, from Honduras to Uruguay. It lives in schools, from the surface to the bottom, over soft bottoms of the inner shelf. Juveniles eat small plankton-feeding crustaceans and also pull scales off other fish; adults hunt small fish and shrimp. It is known for jumping out of the water, which makes it fun on light tackle, with spoons, small plugs and flies. The loose spines in front of the dorsal and anal fins cause a painful sting. Its meat is sold fresh by artisanal fishing.
fun facts
- Juveniles pull scales off other fish to eat.
- The name salteira comes from the leaps it makes when hooked.
identification
Elongated, very compressed body, silver with a blue-green back, tiny embedded scales (leathery look). In front of the dorsal fin there is a row of short, separate spines, and the anal fin has two loose spines. The rear part of the dorsal and anal fins forms semi-separate finlets. Differs from the blue runner and the crevalle jack by lacking lateral-line scutes and by its loose spines.
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.
where found
All along the coast, from Amapá to Rio Grande do Sul, reaching Uruguay.
Habitat: Beaches, bays, estuary channels and the inner shelf over soft bottoms; swims from surface to bottom, often in the surf zone.
coast
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
famous destinations
when to fish
best season
In the Southeast and South it is a summer fish; in the North and Northeast it appears all year.
best time of day
Daytime. Hunts by day, with peaks early in the morning and late in the afternoon.
what affects the castin leatherjacket
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
cold and cold fronts
It disappears with cold water.
atmospheric pressure
A cold front shuts down activity.
moon
Small effect.
rain
Very muddy water hurts visual hunting.
water level
Enters estuaries with the salt water.
noise
Not very sensitive; a school hunting ignores the boat.
wind
Surf helps on the beach; strong wind hurts light casting.
tide
A running tide at the inlets concentrates schools.
depth
Surface and midwater, from 0 to 5 m.
how to fish
- rod
- 6'0" to 7'0", 6 to 14 lb
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 2000 to 3000
- line
- 10 to 15 lb braided line
- leader
- fluorocarbon 20 to 25 lb, 50 cm
- hook
- small treble hooks or single hook 1 to 1/0
lures
- spoons 7 to 15 g
- surface and midwater plugs 5 to 9 cm
- small streamers and clousers
natural baits
- live sardine or anchovy
- live shrimp
accessories
- alicate
- luva
tip from an angler
Retrieve fast: the guaivira chases fast baits. When holding it, watch the spines on the back and belly.
rules for the castin leatherjacket
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 (Portaria GM/MMA 1.667/2026). We found no specific federal rule for this species.
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.
Use pliers and hold it with a cloth: loose spines sting. Release it quickly, head first into the water.
in the kitchen
Light, tasty meat, good fried in pieces or grilled over coals.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00741, b = 2.94; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana, comprimento total)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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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 — Oligoplites saliens (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 Oligoplites saliens (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)National assessment by ICMBio, published in 2023. DOI verified on Crossref.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Oligoplites saliens (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 20/08/2012)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- 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.Carangidae chapter (Smith-Vaniz, W. F.), cited by FishBase for the species.
- 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 marine species recorded in Brazil. Printed work; the URL is the bibliographic record in FishBase, which cites this work for the species.
