sicklefin smooth-hound
Mustelus lunulatus · Triakidae · predator
Pacific smooth-hound shark, from southern California to Panama, reaching 175 cm and caught by commercial fishing. It is near threatened worldwide.
Also called: cação-falcado, cazón segador, tiburón mamón, sicklefin smooth-hound
- maximum
- 175 cm
- depth
- 10–94 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 sicklefin smooth-hound
who is the sicklefin smooth-hound
The sickle-fin smooth-hound belongs to the family Triakidae and reaches 175 cm. It lives on the continental shelf, near the coast and out to open sea, 10 to 94 m deep. It is ovoviviparous, and pairs form with a characteristic embrace before breeding. Its meat is used for human consumption. It is caught by commercial fishing. It occurs in the Pacific, from southern California to Panama, and also off the coasts of Ecuador and Peru.
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 sicklefin smooth-hound; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Slender smooth-hound shark of the genus Mustelus, with no spines on the dorsal fins. The name falcado refers to sickle-shaped fins. It lives in waters 10 to 94 m deep, near the coast, and on the shelf out to open sea. In the northern part of its range it lives alongside the gray smooth-hound, Mustelus californicus, but the two species are easy to tell apart.
where found
In Latin America, it occurs from Mexico to Peru, passing through Central America and Ecuador, on continental shelves.
Habitat: Continental shelf, 10 to 94 m deep, near the coast and out to open sea.
rules for the sicklefin smooth-hound
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
Its meat is 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 lunulatus (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 lunulatusNames 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: