barbfish
Scorpaena brasiliensis · Scorpaenidae · predator
Scorpionfish of bays, ports and the continental shelf, with venomous spines. It is commercially caught and sold for aquariums in Ceará.
Also called: aniquim, mangangá, rascacio, barbfish
- maximum
- 35 cm
- depth
- 1–100 m
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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hour by hour
slide your finger or mouse over the chart to see each hoursee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
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.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the barbfish
who is the barbfish
The aniquim is a fish of the family Scorpaenidae, with a sturdy body and a head with spines, reaching 35 cm, with a common size of 20 cm. It lives in bays, ports and on the continental shelf, from 1 to 100 m, over soft bottoms. Like other scorpionfish, it stays still on the bottom and eats fish and crustaceans. It has a venom gland in its spines, so it requires great care. It has commercial fishing and is sold for aquariums.
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 barbfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- In Ceará it is sold as an aquarium fish.
- It is also known as mangangá.
identification
Sturdy body, with dark brown spots on the inside of the base of the pectoral fin. It has spines on the head, an extra spine on the cheek and a small depression behind the eyes. It can be confused with the baetinha, which has large white spots in the same region of the pectorals; in the aniquim the spots are dark, not white.
where found
Lives in the western Atlantic, from Virginia (USA) and the northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil, but does not occur in Bermuda. In Latin America it occurs from Mexico to Brazil, in the Caribbean and on the north coast of South America.
Habitat: Bays, ports and the continental shelf, over soft bottoms, 1 to 100 m.
coast
rules for the barbfish
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 venomous: the spines of the dorsal fin and of the head carry venom that causes intense pain and swelling. Handle with gloves and, if stung, seek medical care.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01349, b = 3.01; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa pelo gênero e formato do corpo)). 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: Scorpaena brasiliensis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Scorpaena brasiliensisNames 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.
similar species
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: