catalog Sciaenidae · predator

southern king weakfish

Macrodon atricauda

SeaEstuary

The dog-toothed pescada-foguete of the Southeast and South. It comes in schools close to the beach and at estuary mouths; fine meat that is in high demand.

Also called: pescada-foguete, pescadinha-real, pescadinha, foguete

forecast for southern king weakfish where found

Scientific illustration of Southern king weakfish

common size: 20–35 cm
maximum: 46 cm
common weight: 0.1–0.4 kg
record/max.: 0.9 kg
depth: 1–60 m
ideal water: 18–25 °C

overview

who is the southern king weakfish

The pescada-foguete is a small, elongated weakfish with a large mouth and strong canine teeth, heavily exploited by artisanal and industrial fishing from Espírito Santo to the Río de la Plata. Until 2010 it was treated as Macrodon ancylodon, a name now kept for the northern and northeastern form (pescada-gó); the southeastern and southern form was revalidated as Macrodon atricauda. It lives on sand and mud bottoms near the coast, from shallow water to a few dozen meters, and eats shrimp and small fish. It approaches the surf zone and the mouths of bays and estuaries, where it is caught from the beach and from boats with shrimp and sardine. It is intensively exploited across its range.

fun facts

It was recognized as a species distinct from the northern pescada-gó only in 2010.
The name atricauda, "black tail", describes the dark tip of the caudal fin.

how to recognize it

identification

Elongated, silver body with a grayish-brown back, large oblique mouth with strong canines in both jaws, and a pointed, spear-shaped tail with a dark tip (atricauda means "black tail"). Differs from the pescada-olhuda and the vermilion seatrout by its very visible teeth and pointed tail. The northern pescada-gó (M. ancylodon) is almost identical and is told apart by scale and ray counts.

how southern king weakfish 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.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

From Espírito Santo to Rio Grande do Sul, reaching Uruguay and northern Argentina.

Habitat: Sand and mud bottoms of the inner shelf, near the surf zone and the mouths of bays and estuaries.

coast

Southeast CoastSouth Coastcoastalshelf

states

Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of yearbest: Oct–Feb

JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

In spring and summer, schools come closer to the coast in the Southeast and South.

best time of day

Night and twilight. Comes close to the beach and channels in late afternoon and at night; during the day it stays deeper.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the southern king weakfish
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.

cold and cold fronts

A sharp drop in temperature pushes schools away from the beach.

atmospheric pressure

A cold front shuts down activity for a day or two.

moon

New and waxing moon nights usually produce more on the beach.

rain

Light rain doesn't hurt; very muddy water does.

water level

Salt water entering the bays brings the pescada-foguete inside.

noise

Not very sensitive on the beach; from a boat, avoid running the motor over the school.

wind

Moderate choppy sea helps on the beach; strong surf makes fishing impossible.

tide

Fish the flood tide and the first hours of the ebb.

depth

From 1 to 20 m in most beach and boat catches.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Beach fishing Natural bait on the bottom Bottom fishing from a boat

rod: beach: 3.6 to 4.2 m, 80 to 150 g; boat: 6'0" to 7'0", 10 to 20 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel: spinning reel 4000 to 6000 (beach) or 2500 to 4000 (boat)
line: monofilament 0.30 to 0.35 mm or braided line 15 to 20 lb with shock leader
leader: monofilament 0.40 to 0.50 mm
hook: maruseigo or wide gap 1 to 1/0 (the mouth has teeth)

lures

small shads on 10 to 20 g jig heads (boat)

natural baits

shrimp
sardine strips
squid strips
corrupto

accessories

pyramid sinker or treble hook (beach)
forceps

tip from an angler

Use a two-hook rig on the beach and strip baits: the pescada-foguete strikes bait that moves with the current.

what the law says

rules for the southern king weakfish

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). Minimum size of 25 cm from ES to RS (IN MMA 53/2005, as Macrodon ancylodon).

Minimum size 25 cm (ES to RS)

25 cm (TL)ESRJSPPRSCRSSoutheast CoastSouth Coastconfirm with the agency

On the coast from ES to RS it is banned to fish for, keep on board or land pescada-foguete under 25 cm total length. The 20% tolerance of the catch (by weight) provided in the rule is for enforcement at landings; recreational anglers must release the small ones. The rule does not apply to trawling. The rule uses the name Macrodon ancylodon, which at the time included the southeastern and southern pescada, now M. atricauda.

Source: IN MMA nº 53/2005, Annex II (pescadinha / king weakfish, Macrodon ancylodon)

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.

Pescadas die easily out of the water: if you release a small one, do it quickly, without squeezing the belly, and use pliers to remove the hook.

in the kitchen

White, fine and tender meat; a classic fried as fillets or whole, breaded.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

total length (cm)

Length-weight relationship W = a·L^b (a = 0.00631, b = 3.09; 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.