atlantic bigeye
Priacanthus arenatus · Priacanthidae · predator
The red fish with huge eyes from parcels and wrecks. Hunts at night, shows up in bottom fishing and light jigging, and has top-quality flesh.
Also called: olho-de-cão, olho-de-vidro, olhão, piranema, mirassol, imperador
- common size
- 25–35 cm
- maximum
- 50 cm
- common weight
- 0.3–0.8 kg
- record/max.
- 2.9 kg
- depth
- 10–100 m
- ideal water
- 20–26 °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 atlantic bigeye
who is the atlantic bigeye
The Atlantic bigeye is a priacanthid, a family of red fish with very large eyes adapted to low light. It lives over reefs, rocky bottoms and hard grounds, from 10 to 200 m, most commonly between 15 and 100 m, on both sides of the tropical and subtropical Atlantic, from Canada to northern Argentina and from Madeira to Namibia. It forms small groups near the bottom and hunts small fish, crustaceans, polychaetes and larvae at night. It grows to 50 cm, but the usual size is 25 to 35 cm. In Brazil it is caught from boats over parcels, ledges and wrecks, most often late in the afternoon and at night. The flesh is considered excellent and is sold fresh.
fun facts
- The large eyes have a reflective layer, like a cat's, that helps them see in low light.
- The name "olho-de-boi" is also used for this fish in some regions, but in the catalog that name belongs to the greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili).
identification
Deep, oval, compressed body, bright red to pinkish, sometimes with silvery spots. Huge eye, larger than the snout, and a large mouth turned upward, with the lower jaw protruding. Small, rough scales; continuous dorsal fin with 10 spines and 14 soft rays; large pelvic fins; slightly concave tail. Not to be confused with the greater amberjack in the catalog (Seriola dumerili), an unrelated midwater fish, or with snappers and ariacós, which have much smaller eyes.
where found
From Northeast to South Brazil, on parcels, reefs and wrecks, including the oceanic islands. In the western Atlantic it ranges from Canada to northern Argentina, including the whole Caribbean, and also occurs in the eastern Atlantic.
Habitat: Coral and rock reefs, parcels, ledges, wrecks and hard bottoms; by day it stays in crevices and in the shade of rocks.
coast
states
Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul
when to fish
best season
Caught all year; in the Southeast and South it turns up more in the warm-water months over the parcels.
best time of day
Night and twilight. Hunts at night and at dusk; by day it hides in holes and shadows on the parcel, but it takes natural bait left right on the bottom.
what affects the atlantic bigeye
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
cold and cold fronts
Cold upwelling water or a cold front slows the bite on shallow parcels.
atmospheric pressure
Rough sea from a cold front makes fishing the parcel impossible; with settled weather it fishes better.
moon
Dark new-moon nights usually produce more; with a full moon it feeds early and then quits.
rain
Little effect in open sea.
water level
Not applicable at sea.
noise
Moderate: on a shallow parcel, cut the engine and anchor without knocking the hull.
wind
Strong wind creates drift and pulls the bait off the bottom; choose calm days.
tide
Moderate current helps spread bait scent; strong current calls for a heavy sinker.
depth
15 to 60 m for most boat catches.
how to fish
- rod
- 6'0" to 7'0", 12 to 25 lb, medium action
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 3000 to 5000 or low-profile baitcasting reel
- line
- braided line 15 to 30 lb
- leader
- fluorocarbon 0.40 to 0.50 mm (25 to 40 lb), because of the rocks
- hook
- circle or maruseigo 1/0 to 3/0
lures
- micro jig, 20 to 60 g
- jig head with small shad
natural baits
- squid strips
- shrimp
- sardine pieces
- small fish fillet
accessories
- sinker of 50 to 150 g depending on the current
- headlamp
tip from an angler
Let the bait drop close to the rocks and take up one turn of line after it touches bottom. Late in the afternoon, as it gets dark, the bites increase.
rules for the atlantic bigeye
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.
It comes up from depth and its swim bladder can swell: release it quickly and, if the fish cannot descend on its own, use a descender to return it to depth.
in the kitchen
White, delicate flesh of excellent quality; fried, grilled or in moqueca. FishBase records ciguatera reports for the species in tropical areas: in the Caribbean, avoid large fish from reefs with a history of cases.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01622, b = 2.9; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana, 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 — Priacanthus arenatus (ficha da espécie)Names, distribution, biology, length-weight relationship, country list and references. Page checked on 13/10/2026. Records ciguatera reports for the species.
- 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 Priacanthus arenatus (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)National extinction risk assessment by ICMBio, published in 2023. DOI checked on Crossref.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Priacanthus arenatus (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 29/01/2013)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
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: