Elops saurus
Silvery, leaping fish of bays, passes and lagoons in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, a relative of the camurupim. It takes spoon, plug and fly lightly and jumps several times; the meat is little valued.
Also called: ubarana-do-golfo, ubarana, juruma, ladyfish, tenpounder
The ladyfish (Elops saurus, ubarana-do-golfo) is a silvery, slender fish of the tarpon family, with a large mouth and a forked tail. Until 2010 it was the only Elops in the western Atlantic; the description of Elops smithi split the records, and Brazilian ubaranas are now assigned to E. smithi, the species in the ubarana entry. According to the species lists consulted, E. saurus mainly occupies the Gulf of Mexico and the US East Coast, overlapping with the other species in some areas. Adults live in shallow water over mud bottoms and enter estuaries; juveniles are common in hypersaline lagoons and bays. They form large schools near shore and eat crustaceans and small fish. Spawning takes place offshore; the ribbon-shaped larvae return to the coast and develop. It reaches 1 m and 10.1 kg, with a common size around 60 cm. It is famous for leaping out of the water and running along the surface when hooked.
Elongated, rounded body, silver with a bluish back, small scales (more than 100 on the lateral line), large terminal mouth, a narrow bony plate between the jaw branches, and a deeply forked tail. It lacks the filamentous last dorsal ray of the tarpon, and its scales are much smaller. Separating it from Elops smithi is difficult: the 2010 review does so only by counting vertebrae (79 to 87 in saurus, 73 to 80 in smithi), which cannot be seen in the field.
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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.
According to the review that separated Elops smithi, the two species occur in the western Atlantic, mainly in distinct areas, with overlap in some stretches. E. saurus is the species of the Gulf of Mexico and the US East Coast. FishBase still gives it down to southern Brazil, but that text predates the split, and Brazilian ubaranas are attributed to E. smithi.
Habitat: Shallow waters of estuaries, bays, lagoons and mud-bottomed bars, from 0 to about 50 m; juveniles use hypersaline lagoons and bays.
In the Gulf of Mexico it is best from April to October, with warm water; in winter, schools move away from the banks (editorial estimate).
Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. Hunts by day and at dusk, often at the surface, in schools.
Cold water pushes schools away from the bars and banks.
A cold front shuts down activity.
Big tides move the inlets and help.
Heavy rain and very muddy water get in the way.
Follows salt water into the channels and lagoons.
Moderately sensitive; don't pass over the school with the motor.
Moderate wind doesn't hurt; strong wind makes fly fishing hard.
A running tide at the inlets and channel mouths is the hunting time.
Surface and mid-water, 0 to 5 m for most catches.
lures
natural baits
accessories
On the hookset it jumps several times: lower the rod tip at each jump so you don't lose it.
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: Global assessment of 2011, with the species understood in the broad sense, before the split of Elops smithi. Not on the Brazilian national list (Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026).
In recreational sport fishing in Mexican federal waters, each angler may keep up to 10 marine fish per day, with at most 5 of the same species. Ladyfish (macabí) has no limit of its own in the rule. Fish over the limit are released alive, and fish kept may not be sold. Anyone fishing from a boat needs a Conapesca permit.
Hold it firmly from below, remove the hook quickly and release it head first into the current; it thrashes a lot.
Flesh full of fine bones, considered second-grade by FishBase, which lists it as sold fresh, salted and frozen. Ground up, it works for fish cakes and broth, and as bait.
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00631, b = 2.94; 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
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Seasonal weights (months), timing and sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, bright light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on field experience from anglers and guides. They are not official data or measurements made for this species and may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the regulation and link. Common sizes and weights are ranges around the common length reported by FishBase, with weight calculated from the length-weight relationship. The seasons shown are those of the Gulf of Mexico and northern Caribbean, where the species is most common, and are also editorial estimates.
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