leopard shark
Triakis semifasciata · Triakidae · predator
Shark from shallow bays, lagoons and estuaries of the Mexican Pacific, reaching 198 cm and caught on the line.
Also called: cação-leopardo, tiburón leopardo, tollo leopardo, leopard shark
- maximum
- 198 cm
- record/max.
- 18.4 kg
- depth
- 0–156 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 leopard shark
who is the leopard shark
The leopard shark belongs to the family Triakidae and reaches 198 cm and 18.4 kg. It lives from shallow waters to bottoms down to 156 m, but is most common in enclosed bays with muddy bottoms, estuaries and lagoons. It prefers sandy areas, mud flats and bottoms with stones near reefs and kelp forests. It feeds on crabs, shrimp, bony fish, fish eggs, clam siphons and marine worms. It forms mixed schools. It is ovoviviparous, with litters of 4 to 29 pups, born at 20 to 23 cm. Its meat is used fresh or frozen.
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 leopard shark.
fun facts
- Sexual maturity is reached at around 110 cm.
identification
Elongated shark with no spines on the dorsal fins, of the family Triakidae. The name leopard comes from the dark spot pattern on the back. The location helps identify it: enclosed bays, lagoons and estuaries, with mud and sand bottoms, where it often forms mixed schools. It lives in waters down to 156 m, but is more common in shallow bays, generally to 6 m.
where found
In Latin America, it occurs in the Mexican Pacific, in shallow bays, lagoons and estuaries. The species' range runs from Oregon, in the United States, to the Gulf of California.
Habitat: Shallow waters, from the intertidal zone to deeper bottoms, in mud bays, estuaries and lagoons.
rules for the leopard shark
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
The meat is used fresh or frozen, for human consumption.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00234, b = 3.12; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). 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: Triakis semifasciata (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Triakis semifasciataNames by country and language.
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: