pacific smalltail shark
Carcharhinus cerdale · Carcharhinidae · predator
Shallow-water tropical shark of the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Peru. It does not occur in Brazil and is critically endangered: if it comes on the line, release it right away.
Also called: tubarão-poroso-do-Pacífico, tiburón poroso, cazón, pacific smalltail shark
- maximum
- 140 cm
- depth
- 0–40 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 smalltail shark
who is the pacific smalltail shark
The Pacific porous shark is a shark of the family Carcharhinidae, with a smooth back, lacking a strong ridge between the dorsal fins. It reaches 140 cm. It lives near the bottom, in shallow waters down to 40 m, in tropical coasts of the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Peru. The first dorsal fin starts near the middle of the pectorals, and the second is above or behind the base of the anal fin. The species is critically endangered, so it is best to release any specimen caught by mistake.
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 smalltail shark.
identification
Smooth back, without a strong interdorsal ridge, and first dorsal fin starting near the middle of the pectorals. The second dorsal starts above or behind the base of the anal fin, and the caudal fin is a quarter of the total length. The upper teeth have triangular, serrated cusps, with a notch on the edges.
where found
Eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California, in Mexico, to Peru, including Ecuador and Panama. It does not occur in Brazil.
Habitat: Bottom near the coast, in shallow waters down to 40 meters deep.
rules for the pacific smalltail shark
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.
Critically endangered species: if you hook one by accident, keep the shark in the water, remove the hook carefully or cut the line flush 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 = 0.00525, b = 3.08; 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: Carcharhinus cerdale (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Carcharhinus cerdaleNames by country and language.
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: