tiger reef-eel
Scuticaria tigrina · Muraenidae · predator
Very secretive moray of shallow reefs in the eastern Pacific, with black spots edged in yellow. It is usually seen only at night and is seldom fished.
Also called: moreia-tigrina, morena atigrada, morena atigrada de arrecifes, tiger reef-eel
- maximum
- 140 cm
- depth
- 0–25 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 tiger reef-eel
who is the tiger reef-eel
The tiger moray belongs to the family Muraenidae and reaches 140 cm. It has an eel-like body and a very reduced fin. The color ranges from yellowish to reddish brown, with black spots edged in yellow. It lives in lagoons and outer reefs, over sand and among rocks, from 0 to 25 m. It is extremely secretive and is usually seen only at night. It occurs in the Indo-Pacific and the eastern Pacific, with records in Mexico, including the Revillagigedo Islands, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia. It is commercially fished and sold for aquariums.
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 tiger reef-eel; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Moray with a very elongated body, rounded snout and a mouth dotted with black. The yellowish to reddish-brown color has black spots with yellow edges, a trait that helps identify it. The fin is very reduced, another important sign. It is extremely secretive, hides among rocks and over sand, and usually appears only at night.
where found
In Latin America there are records in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia, in lagoons and reefs. The species also occurs in the Indo-Pacific.
Habitat: Lagoons and outer reefs, over sand and among rocks, from 0 to 25 m.
when to fish
best time of day
Nighttime. Extremely secretive, usually seen only at night.
rules for the tiger reef-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.
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.
Watch the mouth, as morays bite when handled. Release it with pliers and without putting your hand near its head.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00034, b = 3.04; 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: Scuticaria tigrina (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Scuticaria tigrinaNames by country and language.
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: