pacific ilisha
Ilisha fuerthii · Pristigasteridae · forage fish
Coastal sardine of the eastern Pacific, from El Salvador to northern Peru, that enters estuaries. Its flesh is of low quality.
Also called: sardinha-machete, machete, sardina hacha, Pacific ilisha
- maximum
- 33 cm
- depth
- 0–50 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 pacific ilisha
who is the pacific ilisha
A fish of the family Pristigasteridae, a relative of sardines and herrings, of slender, compressed body, reaching 33 cm. Common size 20 cm. It lives in coastal waters of the eastern Pacific, 0 to 50 m, from El Salvador to northern Peru. It enters estuaries, possibly to spawn. It feeds on small plankton crustaceans, and larger ones eat shrimp. Its flesh is of low quality, and the species is taken in small-scale 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 pacific ilisha; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- It enters estuaries, possibly to spawn.
identification
Moderately slender, compressed body, with a keel of scutes on the belly, large eye and a projecting lower jaw. The dorsal fin starts a little before the middle of the body, and the anal fin is long, starting below the last dorsal rays. On the same coast, the flat sardine (Opisthopterus dovii) has its dorsal fin farther back, past the middle of the body, and its anal fin starts closer to the snout.
where found
Tropical eastern Pacific, from El Salvador to northern Peru, in coastal waters and estuaries of Central America, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
Habitat: Coastal waters and shallow estuaries, 0 to 50 m.
rules for the pacific ilisha
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.
Harmless to people. It is a small sardine, so release it quickly if it comes up by accident.
in the kitchen
Its flesh is considered low quality.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00871, b = 3.04; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa pelo gênero e formato do corpo)). 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: Ilisha fuerthii (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Ilisha fuerthiiNames 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: