striped burrfish
Chilomycterus schoepfii · Diodontidae · predator
Porcupinefish of shallow waters, common in seagrass meadows of bays and lagoons, with large dark blotches on the body. It ranges from Nova Scotia to Brazil, but is rare or absent over much of the Antilles.
Also called: baiacu-listrado, guanábana rayada, guanába rayada, striped burrfish
- maximum
- 28 cm
- record/max.
- 0.6 kg
- depth
- 1–11 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 striped burrfish
who is the striped burrfish
Porcupinefish of the family Diodontidae, with a short, robust body covered in spines. It lives in seagrass meadows of bays and lagoons and on shallow reefs, from 1 to 11 m. It reaches 27.9 cm and 630 g. It occurs in the western Atlantic, from Nova Scotia to Brazil, but is uncommon or absent over much of the Antilles. It has no commercial value in fishing and is caught now and then, by chance.
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 striped burrfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- It has been sold as an aquarium fish in Ceará.
identification
Short, robust body with five to seven large dark blotches on the back and flanks. Between the blotches there are many dark lines, nearly parallel or crossed, over a pale background. It has no small dark spots on the body or fins, and the tentacles above the eyes are absent or much smaller than the eyes. Unlike Diodon hystrix, which has small spots and no large blotches, this one has large blotches.
where found
In Latin America it occurs along the coast of Brazil, the Bahamas, Cuba, Mexico and Trinidad, in seagrass meadows and shallow reefs.
Habitat: Seagrass meadows in bays and lagoons, and shallow reefs, 1 to 11 m.
coast
rules for the striped burrfish
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.
There are no reports of danger to anglers, but it is a spiny fish: handle it with care and release it quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.04786, b = 2.82; 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: Chilomycterus schoepfii (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Chilomycterus schoepfiiNames 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: