serra spanish mackerel
Scomberomorus brasiliensis
The coastal Spanish mackerel. Yellow spots, razor teeth and a hard run on spoons and jigs retrieved fast.
Also called: sororoca, serra (Nordeste)
- common size
- 40–65 cm
- maximum
- 125 cm
- common weight
- 0.8–3 kg
- record/max.
- 6.7 kg
- depth
- 1–35 m
- ideal water
- 23–29 °C
who is the serra spanish mackerel
The sororoca, called serra in the Northeast, is Brazil's coastal Spanish mackerel. Fast and sharp-toothed, it moves in schools after sardines, manjubas and other small fish near beaches, rocky shores, inlets and bays, from shallow water to about 30 m. It prefers warm, clear water: in the Southeast and South it shows strongly in summer and early autumn; in the Northeast, all year, and it is one of the most important fish in artisanal fishing. It hits spoons and metal jigs retrieved fast, and trolling plugs. It runs hard when hooked. White, tender and tasty meat, excellent as fried fillets or moqueca.
fun facts
- In the Northeast, 'serra' is one of the fish sold most at local markets.
- The triangular, flattened teeth cut like a razor.
identification
Fusiform, compressed, silver body with about three rows of oval yellow-bronze spots on the flanks, no bars. First dorsal fin black at the front. Finlets behind the dorsal and anal fins. Lateral line dropping gently. Difference from king mackerel: king mackerel is larger, has no spots as an adult, and its lateral line drops sharply below the second dorsal. From wahoo: wahoo has a much longer body and vertical bars.
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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.
where found
All along the coast, very important in Northeast fishing (serra) and at beaches, rocky shores and islands in the Southeast in summer.
Habitat: Beaches, rocky shores, inlets, bays and coastal islands, in midwater and at the surface.
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, from December to April, with warm, blue water. In the Northeast, all year, with local seasons tied to clear water and bait schools.
best time of day
Daytime. Active by day, peaking early morning and late afternoon.
what affects the serra spanish mackerel
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
cold and cold fronts
Cold water pushes the Spanish mackerel off the coast; it's a summer fish in the Southeast.
atmospheric pressure
Steady weather and moderate seas help.
moon
Small effect.
rain
Rain that muddies the water shuts down fishing.
water level
Greenish-blue, clean water is essential; heavy surf shuts down fishing for days.
noise
A surface school sinks when a motor passes over it.
wind
Moderate wind doesn't hurt; a lot of wind muddies the coastal water.
tide
It hunts where the current concentrates bait: rocky points and inlet mouths on the flood, as clean water comes in. On the ebb, with dirty water leaving the estuary, it produces less. At slack tide the schools scatter.
depth
Surface to 10 m near shore; down to 35 m.
how to fish
- rod
- 7'0" to 8'0", 12 to 25 lb; 9 to 10 ft on the rocky shore
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 4000 to 5000 with fast retrieve
- line
- braid 20 to 30 lb
- leader
- fine crimped wire leader (10 to 20 cm) or fluorocarbon 50 lb
- hook
- treble hook or single hook 1/0 to 3/0
lures
- silver spoon 20 to 40 g
- metal jig 30 to 60 g
- short-lip trolling plug
natural baits
- live sardine
- manjuba
- fish fillet on slow trolling
accessories
- long-nose pliers
- insulated cooler with ice
tip from an angler
Retrieve fast and steadily: Spanish mackerel strike fleeing lures. Without wire, you lose a lot of fish to the teeth.
rules for the serra spanish mackerel
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 of threatened 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 firmly behind the head; the teeth cut deep. It's a very active fish, so release it right away in the water.
in the kitchen
White, tender meat; fried fillets, moqueca or grilled. Bleed and chill right away.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00396508, b = 2.97; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana, comprimento total); coeficiente a ajustado ao porte máximo registrado). 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 — Scomberomorus brasiliensis (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 Scomberomorus brasiliensis (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)ICMBio national assessment, published in 2025. DOI checked on Crossref.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Scomberomorus brasiliensis (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 01/06/2022)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- scientific Collette, B. B.; Nauen, C. E. (1983). FAO species catalogue. Vol. 2. Scombrids of the world. FAO Fisheries Synopsis 125(2). Roma: FAO.
- 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.Scombridae chapter (Collette, B. B.).
- technical ICCAT Manual, cap. 2.1.10.11 — Serra Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus brasiliensis). International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas.Biology and fishery of the species in the Atlantic.
