bermuda chub
Kyphosus sectatrix · Kyphosidae · omnivore
A rocky-shore fish that eats algae and swims in schools in the surf zone of rocks. Wary and strong, it fights hard on light tackle.
Also called: pirajica, piragica, pirangica, salema-preta, salema-do-alto, Bermuda chub
- common size
- 30–50 cm
- maximum
- 76 cm
- common weight
- 0.8–3 kg
- record/max.
- 6.0 kg
- depth
- 1–30 m
- ideal water
- 22–27 °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
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 bermuda chub
who is the bermuda chub
The pirajica is a rocky-shore and reef fish of warm Atlantic waters. In Brazil it lives on wave-battered rocks and around islands, in schools in the surf zone, over rock, sand and seagrass bottoms, and sometimes in mangroves, usually down to 10 m. It eats mainly algae, plus small crabs and mollusks; juveniles hide in drifting sargassum. In Fernando de Noronha it has learned to eat the feces and vomit of spinner dolphins. In rocky-shore fishing it is known for its strength and wariness: it calls for fine line, algae or shrimp bait, and patience. It can reach 76 cm and 6 kg.
fun facts
- In Fernando de Noronha it eats the feces and vomit of spinner dolphins.
- The front teeth, shaped like hockey sticks, form a blade for scraping algae.
identification
Oval, compressed gray body with thin yellow lines along the flank and a yellow streak from the mouth corner to the preopercle. Top of the operculum membrane darkened. Small mouth with a row of hockey-stick-shaped incisors. Juveniles with large pale spots. The other Atlantic pirajica, Kyphosus vaigiensis (formerly K. incisor), is very similar and is told apart by fin-ray counts.
where found
On rocky shores, reefs and islands from the Northeast to the South, including Fernando de Noronha.
Habitat: Wave-battered rocky shores, reefs, rock bottoms with algae, seagrass and mangroves; juveniles in drifting sargassum.
coast
states
Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina
when to fish
best season
Fished year-round on the Northeast coasts; in the Southeast and South it does better in the warm water of summer and autumn.
best time of day
Daytime. Feeds on algae by day, most active with the flooding tide and choppy water on the rocky shore.
what affects the bermuda chub
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
cold and cold fronts
Cold water from a front or upwelling drives the school off the shallow rocky shore.
atmospheric pressure
Rough sea right after a front stops fishing; when it calms, the surf helps.
moon
Big-moon tides cover more rock and algae, and the school rises to feed.
rain
Little effect; a storm on the rocky shore is a danger.
water level
Heavy surf makes the rocky shore dangerous.
noise
Very wary: shadow and noise on the rock make the school disappear.
wind
Moderate swell and surf help hide the line.
tide
The flooding tide covers the algae on the rocks and brings the school close.
depth
Usually down to 10 m, in the surf zone.
how to fish
- rod
- shore: 9' to 12', 10 to 25 lb, sensitive tip
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 3000 to 5000 with a light drag
- line
- monofilament 0.30 to 0.40 mm or braided 15 to 25 lb
- leader
- fluorocarbon 0.35 to 0.45 mm, 1 m
- hook
- small, strong hook, 1 to 2/0
natural baits
- green algae from the rocky shore itself
- shrimp
- marisco
accessories
- small float or very light sinker
- long-handled landing net
tip from an angler
Use algae from the rocky shore as bait, with a small float in the surf: the pirajica is wary and drops the bait if it feels weight.
rules for the bermuda chub
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.
Remove the hook quickly and return it to the surf, head first in the water; avoid resting the fish on hot rock.
in the kitchen
Edible and sold fresh in some places. Clean and chill it soon after catching.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01445, b = 3.02; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana para a subfamília e o formato do corpo, 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 — Kyphosus sectatrix (ficha da espécie)Names, distribution, biology, length-weight relationship, country list and references. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- 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 Kyphosus sectatrix (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)ICMBio national assessment, published in 2025. DOI checked on Crossref.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Kyphosus sectatrix (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 24/08/2012)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- scientific Carpenter, K. E. (org.) (2002). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Vol. 3: Bony fishes part 2 (Opistognathidae to Molidae). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. Roma: FAO.Chapter Kyphosidae.
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: