Pink to red snapper with yellow eyes and flanks with fine wavy yellow lines, living on the edge of the shelf, between 90 and 140 m. It rises to shallower water at night and is one of the targets of bottom fishing from the Caribbean to southeastern Brazil.
Also called: carapitanga, vermelho-de-olho-amarelo, pargo-do-olho-amarelo, acarapitanga, acará-aia, vermelho, silk snapper, day snapper, yelloweye snapper
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.
location
Sample location: choose yours to see the forecast for where you fish.
period
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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index Score from 0 to 100 for the fishing conditions of each hour. It reads weather, sun, moon, tide and the species' habits. It doesn't promise fish: it tells you when the water is on your side. 0–24 poor · 25–44 fair · 45–64 good · 65–84 very good · 85–100 excellent.
today
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confidence —
confidence How much you can trust the weather forecast for the day. It drops with distance and when the models disagree. It is not the chance of catching fish.
models and trend Up to 16 days, three global weather models (the European ECMWF, the American GFS and a high-resolution blend) read hour by hour; when they disagree, the light band on the chart widens. Beyond that it's a trend: 31 runs of the American GEFS model. Confirm when it's 1 week out.
window Consecutive hours with the index near the day's peak and no danger alert. It is the time to have the bait in the water.
hour by hour
tap or drag on the chart to read each hour · on a keyboard, arrow keys
see hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
next 7 days
choose the day
chart: bar height = day's index · line = variation between models · striped = trend · fainter = less confidence
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.
4-week calendar
the fishing month at a glance
plan a trip
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.
the species
everything about the silk snapper
overview
who is the silk snapper
The silk snapper (carapitanga) is a snapper of the outer shelf and islands of the western Atlantic, from North Carolina and Bermuda to São Paulo, and is most abundant around the Antilles and the Bahamas. Adults stay on the shelf edge, usually between 90 and 140 m, but reach 242 m, and often rise to shallower water at night. They eat fish, shrimp, crabs, gastropods, cephalopods and tunicates. It reaches 83 cm and 8.3 kg. In the tropics it spawns almost all year; near the edges of its range, only in spring and summer. It is sold fresh and has good flesh, but there are ciguatera reports. Portaria MPA nº 532/2025 also lists it as "dentão", a name that in the app belongs to Lutjanus jocu.
fun facts
Portaria MPA nº 532/2025 lists five names: vermelho, dentão, carapitanga, vermelho-de-olho-amarelo and pargo-do-olho-amarelo.
In English it is also called day snapper, or "pargo-do-dia".
Juveniles have a dark spot on the back that disappears with growth, according to FishBase.
how to recognize it
identification
Small head, yellow eye and long pectoral fins that reach the level of the anus. Back and flanks pink to red, with a silvery sheen below and very fine wavy yellow lines on the sides; fins reddish or pale yellow. Juveniles (under 25 cm) have a dark spot on the back, under the first soft rays of the dorsal fin. It lacks the blotch at the base of the pectoral fin found in the saçupema, and the all-red, forked tail of the olhão.
Western Atlantic, from North Carolina (USA) and Bermuda to São Paulo (FishBase), most abundant around the Antilles and the Bahamas. In Brazil it occurs from the north coast to the Southeast, on the shelf edge and on the slope.
Habitat: Edge of the continental shelf and islands, over rock and gravel bottoms, from 90 to 242 m and more commonly 90 to 140 m. Adults may rise to shallower water at night.
coast
North CoastNortheast CoastSoutheast Coastshelfoceanic
calendar and clock
when to fish
best season
time of yearbest: Apr–May and Oct
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Fished all year. In the tropics spawning happens most of the year; near the edges of its range, in spring and summer, when schools gather. The window of calm sea matters more than the season.
best time of day
Night and twilight. It rises to shallower water at night; the most productive fishing is usually late afternoon and early evening, at 90 to 140 m.
weather, water and behavior
what affects the silk snapper
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
cold and cold fronts
Lives in cold deep water; a cold front at the surface hardly changes fishing at 100 m.
atmospheric pressure
Small effect; the problem with the front is rough seas.
moon
Feeds more at night, when the moon influences the current on the shelf edge; moderate effect.
rain
Little effect on the fish at 100 m.
water level
Does not apply at sea. The equivalent is the bottom current, which sets the drift.
noise
At this depth the boat's noise barely reaches the fish.
wind
Strong wind pulls the line off vertical. Prefer calm seas.
tide
Tidal current on the shelf edge gathers bait and school.
depth
More by day at 90 to 140 m; at night it rises and can be fished on shallower bottoms.
deep-sea reel size 6/0 to 9/0 or electric, with 300 to 500 m of line
line
braided line 50 to 80 lb
leader
fluorocarbon or monofilament 60 to 100 lb, 2 to 3 m, with a two-hook leader
hook
circle hook 6/0 to 9/0
lures
bottom jig of 150 to 300 g
LED light above the leader
natural baits
whole or cut sardine
squid strips
cavalinha
accessories
sinker of 300 to 600 g depending on the current
descender
gloves and pliers
tip from an angler
Keep the bait one or two meters off the bottom and, at night, try raising it a few meters: the species rises to shallower water.
what the law says
rules for the silk snapper
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 (Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026). The IUCN rates it Least Concern (2015 assessment). We found no specific Brazilian federal minimum size or quota for the species.
Puerto Rico (federal waters): up to 5 per person per day
5 per person per day; 15 per boat with 3 or more people
In federal waters around Puerto Rico, beyond 9 miles from shore, recreational anglers may keep a maximum of 5 fish per day combined from groupers, snappers and parrotfish (up to 15 per boat when 3 or more people are aboard). The silk snapper counts as a snapper under this limit. The limit does not apply to anyone with a commercial license from Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands.
Puerto Rico (federal waters): closed Oct 1 to Dec 31
fishing and possession prohibited Oct 1 to Dec 3101/10 to 31/12
In federal waters around Puerto Rico, beyond 9 miles from shore, it is prohibited to fish for or have on board silk snapper (carapitanga) from October 1 to December 31 of each year (the rule treats black, blackfin, silk and vermilion snappers together). The possession ban does not apply to fish caught and landed before the closure.
Puerto Rico (federal waters): descent device mandatory on board
1 descent device ready for use by anyone fishing for or carrying reef fish
Anyone fishing for or carrying reef fish (silk snapper is included in the definition) in Puerto Rico's federal waters must have on board, ready for use, at least one descent device: an instrument able to return the fish to the depth where it was caught, with a minimum weight of 454 g (16 oz) and 18.3 m (60 ft) of line, that releases the fish on its own, by operator action or when it escapes at the bottom.
Mexico: up to 5 per species and 10 saltwater fish per day
5 specimens of the species per angler per day, within the limit of 10 saltwater fish
In recreational sport fishing in Mexican federal waters, each angler may keep up to 10 marine fish per day, with a maximum of 5 of the same species. The silk snapper (huachinango ojo amarillo) is not among the species reserved for sport fishing (billfish, sailfish, swordfish, dorado, roosterfish and tarpon) and has no limit of its own. Anything over the limit goes back alive into the water, and sport-caught fish is for personal consumption, not for sale. Anglers fishing from a boat need a Conapesca permit.
Mexico (Gulf and Caribbean): up to 3 kg per day for domestic-consumption fishing
3 kg per angler per day, combining groupers and associated species
In Mexico's federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Mexican Caribbean, the grouper rule lists the species (pargo de lo alto or huachinango ojo amarillo) among the "associated species". For domestic-consumption fishing, each angler may take up to 3 kg per day of any grouper or associated species, for personal and family consumption only, with no sale, using gear that one person can operate alone. The closed season of Feb 1 to Mar 31 under that rule applies to groupers, not to the associated species.
Colombia: AUNAP license and catch and release as the main practice
personal AUNAP license; keep only fish that meets the minimum size, for personal useconfirm with the agency
Colombian sport fishing requires the personal, non-transferable AUNAP license (natural persons, nationals or foreigners). The resolution sets catch and release as the main practice and only allows keeping specimens that meet the minimum sizes, for personal use. We found no specific minimum size or marine quota for this species; confirm with AUNAP before taking any fish home.
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.
Brought up from 90 m or deeper, it arrives with barotrauma. If you release it, use a descent device and return the fish to the bottom without delay; in Puerto Rico the device is mandatory on board.
in the kitchen
Good flesh, sold fresh; it is good grilled, baked whole or in moqueca. There are ciguatera reports for reef fish; very large specimens call for more care.
calculator
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01479, b = 2.96; 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
The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.
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.
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:
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