overview
who is the miraguaia
The miraguaia is the giant of the South Atlantic drums, over 1.2 m and 20 kg. It lives in estuaries, coastal lagoons and beaches from Rio de Janeiro to Rio Grande do Sul, with the main population linked to Lagoa dos Patos and the Plata estuary. It has crushing teeth in its throat and eats shellfish, mussels, crabs and shrimp. It grows slowly, lives many years and forms spawning aggregations in spring, which left it exposed to fishing. The population collapsed and the species is Critically Endangered on the national list: fishing prohibited. Juveniles, called burriquetes, still turn up in croaker surf casting and must be released on the spot.
fun facts
- It has molar-like tooth plates in its throat that can crush shellfish shells.
- Striped juveniles are called burriquetes in the South.
how to recognize it
identification
Deep body with a strongly arched back and mouth underneath, with many short barbels on the chin. Juveniles (burriquetes) with 4 to 5 dark vertical bands; adults dark grey to tan, without stripes. Difference from the croaker: much deeper body, more numerous barbels, no oblique stripes and much larger size.
how miraguaia fishing looks
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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.
