yellownose skate
Zearaja chilensis · Rajidae · predator
Skate of sand and mud bottoms, from the coast of Chile to the Strait of Magellan, with a red or purple spot on each pectoral fin.
Also called: raia-de-nariz-amarelo, raya hocicuda, raya volantin, yellownose skate
- maximum
- 152 cm
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 yellownose skate
who is the yellownose skate
The yellownose skate belongs to the family Rajidae and reaches 152 cm. It is a skate of cold and temperate waters, living on sand and mud bottoms from Chile to the Strait of Magellan, usually at depths down to 40 m. It matures at 94 to 100 cm. It lays eggs in capsules with horn-like extensions, and incubation lasts 252 days. Hatchlings emerge at 17.2 cm. It is caught by bottom commercial fishing.
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 yellownose skate; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Incubation lasts 252 days inside the capsule.
- Hatchlings emerge at 17.2 cm.
identification
Medium-sized skate, with a brown to greyish back and small pale spots scattered over it. Each pectoral fin has a red or purple ocellus in the center, with a sharp outline, which is the main mark of the species. The underside is white to grey, with lighter spots near the gill openings and under the mouth. The tail is longer in males. To separate it from the rough-belly skate, which also occurs off the Chilean coast, check the smaller size and the ocellus on the pectorals.
where found
Lives off the coast of Chile, from the center of the country to the Strait of Magellan, on sand and mud bottoms.
Habitat: Sand and mud bottoms, in cold and temperate waters, usually down to 40 m deep.
rules for the yellownose skate
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.
Skate with no danger to whoever handles it, but threatened worldwide. Hold it by the disc, without pulling by the tail, and release it right away, with minimal handling.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00309, b = 3.24; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). 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: Zearaja chilensis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Zearaja chilensisNames 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: