swordspine croaker
Bairdiella ensifera · Sciaenidae · predator
Small croaker of coastal waters, estuaries and river mouths, from southern Mexico to Peru, growing to 35 cm.
Also called: corvina-espadinha, barbirrubia, ronco barbirrubia, swordspine croaker
- maximum
- 35 cm
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 swordspine croaker
who is the swordspine croaker
The spadefin croaker is a fish of the family Sciaenidae, the family of croakers and weakfishes, found in coastal waters, entering estuaries and river mouths. It lives in the tropical eastern Pacific, from southern Mexico to Peru, and grows to 35 cm, with a common size of 25 cm. It feeds on crustacean larvae, small shrimp and small fish. Like other croakers, it has a dorsal fin divided into two parts. For anglers, it is a fish of estuaries and river mouths.
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 swordspine croaker.
identification
Elongated body typical of croakers, with the dorsal fin divided into two parts. The name espadín (spadefin) suggests a sword-shaped spine. It lives in coastal waters, estuaries and river mouths of the tropical Pacific, and grows to 35 cm. It is in this estuary and river-mouth habitat that it is usually found, together with other small croakers of the region.
where found
Tropical eastern Pacific, from southern Mexico to Peru, in coastal waters, estuaries and river mouths of Central America and northwestern South America.
Habitat: Coastal waters, estuaries and river mouths.
rules for the swordspine croaker
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.
Poses no danger to anglers. Handle it with care and release quickly any fish you do not keep.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00871, b = 3.07; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). 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: Bairdiella ensifera (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Bairdiella ensiferaNames 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: