blackspot wrasse
Decodon melasma
Pink wrasse with a black spot on its flank, living on sand and gravel bottoms from 40 to 160 m. It usually appears as bycatch of shrimp trawlers.
Also called: bodião-de-mancha-negra, señorita de mancha negra, resbalosa, blackspot wrasse
- maximum
- 32 cm
- depth
- 40–160 m
who is the blackspot wrasse
The blackspot wrasse is of the family Labridae and reaches 32 cm. It has an elongated, slightly compressed body, a large pointed head, and canine teeth, two pairs at the front of each jaw. It lives on sand bottoms with gravel and on isolated reefs, from 40 to 160 m, from the Gulf of California to Ecuador. Each individual starts as a female and later becomes a male. It usually appears in open sea as bycatch from the shrimp trawlers, and has little interest for rod 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 blackspot wrasse.
fun facts
- It often appears in the nets of shrimp trawlers, even though it is not the target of the fishery.
identification
Pink-bodied wrasse with a lighter belly and a black spot on its flank, just above the rear edge of the pectoral fin. The anal fin is white. The elongated, compressed body and the large, pointed head, with large canine teeth somewhat crooked at the front of the jaws, help identify it among wrasses.
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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.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Found in the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Ecuador, on sand bottoms and isolated reefs.
Habitat: Sand bottoms with gravel and isolated reefs, from 40 to 160 m deep.
rules for the blackspot wrasse
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.
Poses no danger to anglers. Because it lives at depths of 40 to 160 m, it suffers when brought up quickly, so release it promptly and carefully.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00955, b = 3.1; 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: Decodon melasma (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Decodon melasmaNames by country and language.