speckled worm-eel
Myrophis punctatus · Ophichthidae · predator
Pale brown eel of bays, mangroves and seagrass beds, widely used as bait. It is not dangerous to anglers.
Also called: cutuca, muriongo, safio pecoso, speckled worm eel
- maximum
- 35 cm
- depth
- 0–100 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…
—
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 speckled worm-eel
who is the speckled worm-eel
Snake eel of the family Ophichthidae, with a long, rounded body, reaching 35.3 cm. It lives in bays, mangroves, estuaries and seagrass beds, and also on reefs far from the coast, down to 100 m. It tolerates slightly salty water, enters tidal channels and, in some countries, has been recorded in fresh water. Adults go to the open sea to spawn. It has a great capacity to regenerate. In fishing, it is mainly used as bait.
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 speckled worm-eel; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- On the northern coast of Brazil, it is caught for bait, sometimes with plants that poison the fish.
identification
Pale brown eel, with fine small black dots scattered over the back and sides, and a lighter underside. The pattern is of fine dots, not large blotches with pale centers, as in the goldspotted eel (Myrichthys ocellatus), which lives on the same coast.
where found
It lives from North Carolina and Bermuda to the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean and northern Brazil, in bays, mangroves and seagrass beds.
Habitat: Bays, mangroves, estuaries and seagrass beds, from shallow waters to reefs down to 100 m.
coast
rules for the speckled worm-eel
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 (Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA No. 1.667/2026).
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.
It is not dangerous, but it is slippery and has teeth. Hold it just behind the head and release it carefully.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00076, b = 3.06; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
—
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: Myrophis punctatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Myrophis punctatusNames by country and language.
- 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)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.
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: