charal
Chirostoma jordani
Small silverside from central Mexico, in fresh and brackish water, up to 11.1 cm. Like other silversides, it forms schools. It is caught commercially.
Also called: peixe-rei-do-planalto, charal, charal del Mezquital, mesa silverside
- maximum
- 11 cm
- record/max.
- 0.0 kg
who is the charal
The charal is a fish of the family Atherinopsidae, reaching 11.1 cm and 8 g. It occurs in central Mexico, in fresh water and also in brackish water, between midwater and the bottom. Like other silversides, it forms schools and is food for larger fish. It is caught commercially and is not a target of sport fishing with rod and line. It is not known whether it migrates. An attempt to introduce it to Texas did not work.
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 charal; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Attempts to introduce it to Texas, in the United States, did not work.
identification
Small, elongated, silvery fish, sardine-shaped, like other silversides. Atherinopsids have a silver stripe along the side of the body. The safest sign is the place: this species occurs in central Mexico, in fresh and brackish water, and the smallmouth silverside, similar to it, is endemic to the Lerma River basin.
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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.
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
Central Mexico, in fresh and brackish water.
Habitat: Fresh and brackish water, between midwater and the bottom.
rules for the charal
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
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.
Tiny, fragile fish: if it gets hooked, handle it as little as possible, with a wet hand, and return it quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00537, b = 3.09; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). 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: Chirostoma jordani (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Chirostoma jordaniNames by country and language.
