gray smoothhound
Mustelus californicus · Triakidae · predator
Gray smooth-hound shark from the Pacific coast, from northern California to the Gulf of California. It enters shallow bays and is caught on the line.
Also called: cação-cinzento, cazón gris, musola gris, gray smoothhound
- maximum
- 116 cm
- depth
- 2–46 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
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why this index at —?
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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.
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 gray smoothhound
who is the gray smoothhound
The gray smooth-hound belongs to the family Triakidae and reaches 116 cm. It is a common shark near the coast and on the continental shelf, 2 to 46 m deep, and enters shallow bays with muddy bottoms. It feeds on crabs, ghost shrimp, marine worms and small fish, such as herring and toadfish. It is viviparous, with a yolk-sac placenta, and has 2 to 5 pups per litter. Its meat is used for human consumption, and the species is also caught on the line.
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 gray smoothhound; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Slender smooth-hound shark of the genus Mustelus, with no spines on the dorsal fins. Its grey color gives the species its name. In the southern part of its range, it lives alongside the sickle-fin smooth-hound, Mustelus lunulatus, but the two are easy to tell apart. It lives in shallow bays with muddy bottoms, which also helps identify it.
where found
Occurs in the eastern Pacific, from northern California to the Gulf of California, in Mexico, on the shelf and in shallow bays.
Habitat: Shelf and shallow bays with muddy bottoms, near the coast, 2 to 46 m deep.
rules for the gray smoothhound
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.
Shark with no danger to whoever catches it. Hold it with care and release it with minimal handling.
in the kitchen
Used for human consumption.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00229, b = 3.14; 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: Mustelus californicus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Mustelus californicusNames 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: