cottonmouth jack
Uraspis secunda
Dark open-sea jack that stays near islands, of sport interest. It usually lives alone or in small groups.
Also called: xaréu-boca-de-algodão, jurel boca algodón, cottonmouth jack
- maximum
- 50 cm
- record/max.
- 2.0 kg
- depth
- 2–15 m
who is the cottonmouth jack
The cottonmouth jack belongs to the family Carangidae and reaches 50 cm and 2 kg. It occurs in warm waters worldwide, at the surface and down to 50 m, often near islands. Adults are pelagic but sometimes stay near the bottom. They live alone or in small schools. Juveniles have dark bands on the body. It has sport interest and little commercial use, which is why it turns up on the line of anglers fishing near islands.
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 cottonmouth jack.
fun facts
- Adults are dark and juveniles have bands, a clear difference between the ages.
identification
Dark adults, from dark gray to blue-black. Juveniles have six to seven dark bands on the body, with pale spaces between them. The popular names of the species (boca de algodón, boca blanca) refer to the white mouth. It lives in open sea, near islands, alone or in small groups.
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 occurs in warm waters worldwide. In Latin America, it appears from Brazil to Mexico and the Pacific, near islands.
Habitat: Warm oceanic waters, from 1 to 50 m, near islands.
coast
rules for the cottonmouth jack
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.
No danger to anglers. Hold it with care, because the dorsal fin has firm spines.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01318, b = 2.96; 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: Uraspis secunda (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Uraspis secundaNames 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.