white grunt
Haemulon plumierii
Very common reef haemulid in the Northeast and Southeast. Travels in schools, grunts out of the water and bites readily in bottom fishing.
Also called: biquara, corcoroca, cocoroca, boca-de-fogo, corcoroca-mulata, capiúna
- common size
- 20–30 cm
- maximum
- 53 cm
- common weight
- 0.1–0.6 kg
- record/max.
- 4.4 kg
- depth
- 2–40 m
- ideal water
- 24–29 °C
who is the white grunt
The white grunt (biquara) is a haemulid of reefs, rocky shores and sandy bottoms near the rocks, from Chesapeake Bay in the United States to southeastern Brazil. By day it forms large schools near corals and ledges; juveniles grow up in seagrass beds. It eats crustaceans, small mollusks and fish. It is common in artisanal line fishing on Northeast reefs and in recreational rocky-shore and boat fishing, and is sold fresh. Males put on a curious territorial display, pushing mouth to mouth. It can reach 50 cm, but most are 20 to 30 cm.
fun facts
- Males fight over territory by pushing mouth to mouth.
- Grunts out of the water, grinding the pharyngeal teeth.
identification
Elongated, tall body, grayish yellow to silver, with fine blue stripes along the side of the head. Scales above the lateral line much larger than those below; the rows just below the lateral line are oblique. Mouth red inside (hence boca-de-fogo). Differs from other corcorocas (Haemulon) by the blue stripes only on the head and the large scales above the lateral line.
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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.
where found
From Ceará to São Paulo, most abundant on Northeast reefs.
Habitat: Coral and sandstone reefs, rocky shores, ledges and sandy bottoms near the rocks; juveniles in seagrass beds.
coast
states
Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo
when to fish
best season
In the Northeast all year; in the Southeast, best in warm months.
best time of day
Night and twilight. By day it stays in schools near the rocks; it feeds more in late afternoon and at night, but bites by day.
what affects the white grunt
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 keeps schools out of the shallows.
atmospheric pressure
A cold front shuts down biting.
moon
Small effect.
rain
Very muddy water gets in the way.
water level
Follows the tide over the reefs.
noise
The school scatters at noise but comes back with chum.
wind
Rough sea prevents fishing on the reefs.
tide
A flood tide covers the reef and spreads the school over the ledge.
depth
From 3 to 20 m in most catches.
how to fish
- rod
- 6'0" to 7'0", 8 to 20 lb
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 2500 to 4000
- line
- braided line 12 to 20 lb
- leader
- fluorocarbon 20 to 30 lb
- hook
- chinu 2 to 5 or circle 1/0
lures
- small 10 to 30 g jigs
natural baits
- shrimp
- squid strips
- sardine pieces
- marisco
accessories
- sinker 20 to 80 g
tip from an angler
Chum with ground sardine: the school rises and the bite stays steady.
rules for the white grunt
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.
Release it quickly; if it came from more than 15 m and floats, use a descender.
in the kitchen
White, tasty meat, good fried whole or in broth. There are ciguatera records in other regions.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01445, b = 2.97; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana, 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 — Haemulon plumierii (ficha da espécie)Names, distribution, biology, length-weight relationship and references. Page checked on October 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 Haemulon plumierii (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)ICMBio national assessment, published in 2025. DOI checked on Crossref.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Haemulon plumierii (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 10/10/2015)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.Haemulidae chapter (Lindeman, K. C.), cited by FishBase for the species.
- scientific Menezes, N. A.; Figueiredo, J. L. (1980). Manual de peixes marinhos do sudeste do Brasil. IV. Teleostei (3). São Paulo: Museu de Zoologia da USP. 96 p.Printed work; the URL is the bibliographic record on FishBase, which cites this work for the species.
- scientific Szpilman, M. (2000). Peixes marinhos do Brasil: guia prático de identificação. Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Ecológico Aqualung. 288 p.Printed work; the URL is the bibliographic record on FishBase, which cites this work for the species.
- scientific Menezes, N. A.; Buckup, P. A.; Figueiredo, J. L.; Moura, R. L. (orgs.) (2003). Catálogo das espécies de peixes marinhos do Brasil. São Paulo: Museu de Zoologia da USP. 160 p.List of marine species recorded in Brazil. Printed work; the URL is the bibliographic record in FishBase, which cites this work for the species.
