squeteague
Cynoscion regalis · Sciaenidae · predator
American weakfish from the east coast of the United States, which enters estuaries in summer. In Latin America only Mexico is recorded. It is a sport and food fish, and it is threatened worldwide.
Also called: pescada-amarela-americana, corvinata real, squeteague
- maximum
- 98 cm
- record/max.
- 8.9 kg
- depth
- 10–26 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 squeteague
who is the squeteague
The American weakfish is a fish of the family Sciaenidae, with a silvery body and greenish back. It reaches 98 cm and up to 8.9 kg. It lives in shallow coastal waters, on sand and sandy mud, from 10 to 26 m. In summer, it enters estuaries to feed and breed. It mainly eats crustaceans and fish, and leaves the estuaries in autumn when the water cools. It is a sport fish and is consumed fresh and frozen. It is threatened with extinction in the global assessment.
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 squeteague; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- It stops feeding when the water reaches 7.9 °C and dies when it reaches 3.3 °C.
- There are records that it spends the winter in estuaries.
identification
The back is grayish green and the belly silvery, with small spots on the back forming wavy and dotted lines. The pelvic and anal fins are yellowish, and the inside of the gill cover is dark, visible from the outside. It has a pair of large canine teeth at the tip of the upper jaw and a protruding lower jaw. It may be confused with the Gulf silver seatrout, which has an almost spotless back.
where found
Occurs in the western Atlantic, from Nova Scotia, Canada, to northern Florida, United States. In Latin America, only Mexico is listed among the countries of occurrence, outside this main range. It has been introduced into Europe.
Habitat: Shallow coastal waters, on sand and sandy mud, from 10 to 26 m, and estuaries in summer.
rules for the squeteague
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.
Not dangerous to handle, but the canine teeth of the upper jaw can cut the hand, so hold it carefully. Since the species is threatened worldwide, release the ones you will not keep.
in the kitchen
It is eaten fresh and frozen, and can be steamed, fried, grilled or baked.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00776, b = 3.06; 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: Cynoscion regalis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Cynoscion regalisNames 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: