smalleye croaker
Nebris microps
Croaker of coastal waters and estuaries, on muddy bottoms, which eats shrimp. Important for food, sold fresh and salted, from Colombia to southern Brazil.
Also called: pescada-banana, bacalhau, maria-mole, corvina ojo chico, smalleye croaker
- maximum
- 40 cm
- record/max.
- 0.6 kg
who is the smalleye croaker
The banana croaker is a fish of the family Sciaenidae, with a spindle-shaped body, reaching 40 cm and up to 570 g, with a common size of 35 cm. It lives in coastal waters and estuaries, on mud and sandy mud bottoms, down to 50 m deep. Juveniles are restricted to brackish water. It feeds mainly on shrimp. It is part of the commercial fishing of the region and is considered an important food fish, sold mainly fresh and salted.
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 smalleye croaker; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Juveniles are restricted to brackish waters.
- In Trinidad, it is one of the best-paid species.
identification
Spindle-shaped body, typical of croakers, with small eyes, as the Spanish name ojo chico (small eye) says. It can be confused with other croakers and weakfish along the coast, but the habit of living on mud bottoms, in coastal waters and estuaries, and its small size, at most 40 cm, help separate it. Juveniles are restricted to brackish water and are hard to recognize without observing the habitat.
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 western Atlantic, from Colombia to southern Brazil. In Latin America, it occurs in Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, Trinidad and Tobago, and Brazil.
Habitat: Coastal waters and estuaries, on mud and sandy mud bottoms, down to 50 m.
coast
rules for the smalleye 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. Being small, release what you are not going to keep.
in the kitchen
It is an important food fish, sold mainly fresh and salted.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00851, 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
—
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: Nebris microps (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Nebris micropsNames 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.
