cero
Scomberomorus regalis · Scombridae · predator
Smaller mackerel of the clear Caribbean waters, with a dark band and yellow streaks on the flank. It hunts near reefs and hits spoons, plugs and trolling baits.
Also called: cavala-canguçu, cavala-pintada, serra-pininga, cavala-sardinheira, cero
- common size
- 35–55 cm
- maximum
- 84 cm
- common weight
- 0.7–2.5 kg
- record/max.
- 7.8 kg
- depth
- 1–20 m
- ideal water
- 25–29 °C
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 cero
who is the cero
The cavala-canguçu (cero mackerel), called cero in the Caribbean, is a coastal mackerel of warm western Atlantic waters, from Massachusetts to Brazil, most common in the Bahamas and the Antilles. It lives in clear water, in midwater or near the surface, around coral reefs, usually alone or in small groups. It eats sardines, anchovies and silversides, as well as squid and shrimp. In the Caribbean it migrates with the seasons and is more common in the northern hemisphere winter; in northeastern Brazil there are records of it accompanying schools of mojarra fish (carapebas). In recreational fishing it is caught on light trolling, by casting spoons and plugs, and with live bait near reefs.
fun facts
- In English it is also called painted mackerel.
- It spawns almost all year in the Caribbean, with more activity between April and September in Puerto Rico.
identification
Elongated, compressed body covered with small scales. Silvery flank with a dark longitudinal band in the middle and rows of yellow-orange dashes and spots above and below it. The front third of the first dorsal fin is black. The lateral line slopes gradually toward the tail. The Spanish mackerel (sororoca) has round yellow spots and no band; the mackerel (cavala) is larger, with no spots as an adult, and its lateral line drops suddenly below the second dorsal fin.
where found
Tropical western Atlantic, from Massachusetts to Brazil, most common in the Bahamas and the Antilles. It is rarely cited in Brazil; the literature records it in the Northeast.
Habitat: Clear water around coral reefs and rocky coasts, in midwater or near the surface.
coast
when to fish
best season
In the Caribbean it is present year-round and more common in the northern hemisphere winter, when it migrates among the islands.
best time of day
Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. Hunts by day, with more activity at dawn and dusk, along the edge of the reefs.
what affects the cero
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
cold and cold fronts
Warm-water fish; strong cold fronts in the Caribbean drive bait schools away.
atmospheric pressure
A front with a rising sea makes trolling along the reef edge difficult.
moon
Small effect; spring tides move more bait along the reef edge.
rain
Murky rainwater drives the fish away; it hunts by sight.
water level
Not applicable at sea. The equivalent is clear water over the reef.
noise
A high engine over the shallows scares fish; trolling about 30 m off the edge works better.
wind
Chop helps hide the boat; strong wind muddies the water on the shallows.
tide
Current moving in and out of channels and passes gathers the bait.
depth
From the surface to about 20 m, over and along the edge of the reefs.
how to fish
- rod
- 6'6" to 7', 10 to 20 lb
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 2500 to 4000
- line
- braided line 10 to 20 lb
- leader
- thin wire leader or fluorocarbon 30 to 40 lb, 30 to 60 cm (sharp teeth)
- hook
- single hook 1/0 to 3/0 or the treble hooks of the baits
lures
- spoon and jig 15 to 40 g
- midwater plug 7 to 10 cm
- small trolling feather
natural baits
- live sardine or anchovy
- fish strip
accessories
- alicate
- luvas
tip from an angler
Slow trolling along the edge of the reef, with the bait a few meters below the surface, often outfishes casting in the middle of the shallows.
rules for the cero
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 national list (Portaria GM/MMA 1.667/2026). We found no specific federal rule for this species.
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.
Hold it by the peduncle and the belly and remove the hook with pliers, since the teeth cut. Release it quickly, head first in the water.
in the kitchen
Light, tasty flesh, good fried, grilled or smoked. There have been ciguatera cases in reef areas: follow local advice.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00977, b = 3.02; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana para o gênero e o formato do corpo, comprimento total)). 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.
- scientific FishBase — Scomberomorus regalis (ficha da espécie)Names, distribution, biology, length-weight relationship, country list and references. Page checked on October 13, 2026. FishBase gives 183 cm total length as the maximum, far above other records; we use the 83.5 cm fork length cited in the ICCAT manual.
- official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026 — Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)Most recent national list. The species is not on it (search by scientific name in the text published in the DOU, checked on October 13, 2026).
- official ICMBio/SALVE — Ficha de Scomberomorus regalis (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)ICMBio national assessment, published in 2026. DOI checked on Crossref.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Scomberomorus regalis (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 10/11/2022)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- technical ICCAT Manual, cap. 2.1.10.9 — Cero (Scomberomorus regalis). International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas.Chapter by Frédou, T.; Siqueira Lima, R.; Lucena-Frédou, F. (UFRPE), updated June 30, 2021.
- scientific Collette, B. B.; Nauen, C. E. (1983). FAO species catalogue. Vol. 2. Scombrids of the world. FAO Fisheries Synopsis 125(2). Roma: FAO.
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: