pacific barracuda
Sphyraena argentea · Sphyraenidae · predator
Pacific barracuda of the coast of North America and the Mexican Pacific, reaching 145 cm. It has large, sharp teeth and is taken in commercial and sport fishing.
Also called: bicuda-prateada, barracuda plateada, picuda plateada, pacific barracuda
- maximum
- 145 cm
- record/max.
- 12.0 kg
- depth
- 0–18 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
tap or drag on the chart to read each hour · on a keyboard, arrow keyssee 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 pacific barracuda
who is the pacific barracuda
Barracuda of the family Sphyraenidae. It reaches 145 cm and up to 12 kg, and lives near the coast and the surface, in small schools, mainly from 0 to 18 m. Juveniles enter bays. It feeds mainly on other fish. It spawns pelagically, with eggs released into the water. It migrates south along the California coast in autumn, but may stay off the Mexican coast all year. It is taken in commercial and sport fishing.
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 pacific barracuda; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- There are reports of individuals up to 12 years old.
identification
Bluish or brownish back and silver belly, with a long, slender body. It lives near the surface and the beach, in small schools. Unlike the blackfin barracuda, which has dark bands across the body, this one has simpler colors, with a bluish or brownish back and silver belly.
where found
Found in the eastern Pacific, from Alaska to Magdalena Bay, in Baja California, and uncommon north of Point Conception, California. In Latin America it occurs only in Mexico.
Habitat: Near the coast and the surface, from 0 to 18 m, in small schools.
rules for the pacific barracuda
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
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 has large, sharp teeth and is considered potentially dangerous, although there are no reports of attacks. Handle with care.
in the kitchen
It is eaten fresh, dried, salted or frozen, grilled or baked.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00708, b = 2.92; 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: Sphyraena argentea (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Sphyraena argenteaNames by country and language.
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: