black seabass
Centropristis striata · Serranidae · predator
Black sea bass of rocky bottoms and stone jetties on the Atlantic coast of North America, sought after by sport anglers. In Latin America, it is recorded in Mexico.
Also called: garoupa-negra, serrano estriado, black seabass, garoupa-negra
- maximum
- 66 cm
- record/max.
- 4.3 kg
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 black seabass
who is the black seabass
The black sea bass belongs to the family Serranidae and reaches 66 cm, weighing up to 4.3 kg. It lives in the western Atlantic, in shallow waters over rocky bottoms and near stone jetties, from Canada to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, and reaches the southern tip of Florida in cold winters. In Latin America, it is recorded in Mexico. It is sought by sport anglers and is also caught commercially. It has a fusiform body and a spiny dorsal fin, typical of the family, and the spines may be venomous.
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 black seabass; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Fusiform, dark-colored body, as the popular name suggests, with the spiny dorsal fin typical of the family. It lives over rocky bottoms and near stone jetties, in shallow waters. It reaches 66 cm, far more than the belted sandfish (garoupa-cintada, Serranus subligarius), which lives on the same coast and reaches 10 cm.
where found
It lives in the western Atlantic, from the coast of Canada to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. In Latin America, it is recorded in Mexico.
Habitat: Shallow waters, over rocky bottoms and stone jetties.
rules for the black seabass
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.
It has venomous spines on its fins, so handle it with care, using thick cloth or pliers.
in the kitchen
It is sold fresh and is usually fried, grilled or baked.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01148, b = 3.04; 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: Centropristis striata (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Centropristis striataNames 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: