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catalog Monacanthidae · omnivore

scrawled filefish

Aluterus scriptus

Sea

Large filefish, flattened on the sides, olive with blue lines and spots and a long, rounded tail, which grazes algae and invertebrates on reefs throughout the tropics. It turns up by surprise in bottom fishing; it is not a sport target and there are reports of ciguatera.

Also called: cangulo-pavão, cangulo-velho, peixe-porco, porquinho, scrawled filefish, tobaccofish

forecast for scrawled filefish where found
Scientific illustration of Scrawled Filefish
common size
35–55 cm
maximum
110 cm
common weight
0.3–0.9 kg
record/max.
2.5 kg
depth
3–20 m
ideal water
24–29 °C
overview

who is the scrawled filefish

The scrawled filefish is a circumtropical monacanthid that lives in lagoons and outer reefs, usually between 3 and 20 m, but reaches 120 m. Adults usually stay on deep coastal slopes or reef edges, near 20 m, and juveniles drift with algae mats in open sea, where they can reach a good size. It eats algae, seagrass, hydroids, sea fans, colonial anemones and tunicates. It reaches 110 cm and 2.5 kg, with a common length of 55 cm. When threatened, it wedges into a reef crevice with its head spine; it is slow and easy to approach. It has small commercial use, is collected for aquariums, and there are reports of ciguatera.

fun facts

  • It wedges into a reef crevice with its large head spine, held in place by a smaller spine behind it, and extends another spine on the belly to brace itself, according to the Florida Museum.
  • Juveniles stay with floating algae mats in open sea for a long time and reach a good size.
  • In Brazil, "cangulo" and "peixe-porco" apply to several monacanthids and balistids: confirm the species before applying size rules.
how to recognize it

identification

Elongated body, very flattened on the sides, olive to gray, with irregular blue lines and spots and small black dots on the head and body; juveniles are brownish with dark blotches. Concave snout, small mouth turned upward, two spines on the first dorsal and a long, rounded caudal fin. The pelvic fin is rudimentary or absent. The common filefish (Aluterus monoceros) is sandy gray with brown spots and a dark tail, and has a convex snout in adults.

how scrawled filefish fishing looks

Loading the next 7 days…

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.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

Circumtropical (FishBase). In Brazil it occurs along the whole coast, on reefs and coastal hard bottoms, from 3 to 20 m and deeper, and juveniles may appear associated with floating algae.

Habitat: Lagoons, outer reefs and reef edges, usually from 3 to 20 m and up to 120 m. Adults stay on deep coastal slopes; juveniles drift with algae in open sea. They wedge into reef crevices at night.

coast

North CoastNortheast CoastSoutheast CoastSouth Coastcoastalshelf
calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of year
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Caught all year in tropical water; it is incidental catch and follows no fishing season.

best time of day

0h6h12h18h sunrise ~6amsunset ~6pm

Daytime. Grazes by day on the reef and wedges into a crevice at night; bites happen in the sunlight hours, with small bait on the reef bottom.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the scrawled filefish
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.

cold and cold fronts

Warm-water species: a sharp drop in temperature makes the fish retreat.

atmospheric pressure

Small effect; the problem with the front is the rough sea and dirty water.

moon

Little influence on a species that feeds by day.

rain

Heavy rain and muddy water reduce visibility.

water level

Does not apply at sea. The equivalent is clear reef water.

noise

Slow and curious; only loud noise scares it off.

wind

Swell does not bother it, but strong wind stirs up sand on the shallow reef.

tide

Moderate current helps carry the bait's scent to the fish.

depth

Usually between 3 and 20 m, near the reef; also on slopes down to 120 m.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Bottom fishing from a boatNatural bait on the bottomRocky shore
rod
6' to 7', medium action, 12 to 20 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel
spinning reel 3000 to 4000
line
braided 15 to 20 lb
leader
fluorocarbon 20 to 30 lb, 1 m
hook
small hook, No. 4 to 1/0 (the mouth is small)

lures

  • rarely used: the fish eats algae and invertebrates

natural baits

  • shrimp
  • squid pieces
  • pieces of algae and sea urchin

accessories

  • long-nose pliers
  • luvas

tip from an angler

The mouth is small: use a small hook and bait cut into small pieces, and be careful with the spines when releasing.

what the law says

rules for the scrawled filefish

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 Brazilian national list (Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026). The IUCN rates it Least Concern (2014 assessment). Note the name: the 20 cm fork-length minimum size of IN MMA No. 53/2005 applies to the Balistes triggerfish (B. capriscus and B. vetula), not to the Aluterus filefish.

Mexico: up to 5 per species and 10 saltwater fish per day

5 specimens of the species per angler per day, within the limit of 10 saltwater fish

In recreational sport fishing in Mexican federal waters, each angler may keep up to 10 marine fish per day, with a maximum of 5 of the same species. The scrawled filefish (lija trompa) is not among the species reserved for sport fishing (marlins, sailfish, swordfish, dorado, pez gallo and tarpon) and has no limit of its own. Anything over the limit goes back alive into the water, and sport-caught fish are for personal consumption, not for sale. Anglers fishing from a boat need a Conapesca permit.

Source: Amendment to NOM-017-PESC-1994 (recreational sport fishing in federal waters of Mexico), published in the DOF on Nov 25, 2013, items 4.9.1 and 4.9.5 (Sagarpa/Conapesca)

Colombia: AUNAP license and catch and release as the main practice

personal AUNAP license; keep only fish that meets the minimum size, for personal useconfirm with the agency

Colombian sport fishing requires the personal, non-transferable AUNAP license (natural persons, nationals or foreigners). The resolution sets catch and release as the main practice and only allows keeping specimens that meet the minimum sizes, for personal use. We found no specific minimum size or marine quota for this species; confirm with AUNAP before taking any fish home.

Source: Resolución AUNAP nº 0549, of Mar 18, 2022 (sport fishing), arts. 6º and 8º

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.

In shallow fishing, release it quickly with long-nose pliers, without squeezing the flattened body and watching the spines on the head and belly.

in the kitchen

There are reports of ciguatera, and the Florida Museum advises caution when eating it. Like other filefish, its skin is thick and is usually removed. If you cook it, choose small fish from a known source, and avoid large specimens from reefs with a history of ciguatera.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00933, b = 2.87; 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

—

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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Aluterus scriptus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Aluterus scriptusNames by country and language.
  3. 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)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.
  4. official Portaria MPA nº 532, de 23 de setembro de 2025: nomes científicos e nomes comuns das principais espécies de peixes de interesse comercialAnnex: "Aluterus spp.", names "Cangulo", "Peixe-Porco", "Peroá" and "Porquinho" (checked in the Annex text). The names "cangulo-pavão" and "cangulo-velho" come from FishBase.
  5. scientific Florida Museum: Scrawled Filefish (Aluterus scriptus)Appearance, habitat, behavior of wedging into crevices, diet, uses and caution regarding ciguatera. Page checked Oct 13, 2026.
  6. official NOM-017-PESC-1994 e sua modificação: pesca deportivo-recreativa em águas de jurisdição federal do MéxicoItem 4.9.1: up to 10 marine fish per angler per day, no more than 5 per species. The original text (DOF May 9, 1995) was also read at https://platiica.economia.gob.mx/normalizacion/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/PDF_Normas_Publicas/017-pesc.pdf.
  7. official Resolução AUNAP nº 0549, de 18 de março de 2022: lineamentos para a pesca esportiva e recreativa na ColômbiaSummary of articles 6 (license) and 8 (catch and release, minimum sizes). We did not check the per-species quota and size values, which depend on the full text.
  8. official Instrução Normativa MMA nº 53, de 22 de novembro de 2005: tamanhos mínimos de captura no litoral do ES ao RSThe species is not in Annexes I and II (checked in the consolidated reproduction of the rule), so there is no federal minimum size under that rule. We found no other federal minimum-size rule or specific quota for the species.
don't confuse

similar species

Illustration of Unicorn leatherjacket filefish
Monacanthidae

Unicorn leatherjacket filefish

Aluterus monoceros

Sandy-gray filefish, with a convex snout in adults, common in the Atlantic from Brazil to Argentina and sold in Rio de Janeiro markets as peixe-porco. It turns up by chance in bottom fishing; it is not a sport target and there are reports of ciguatera.

Sea
time of year
Illustration of Gray triggerfish
BalistidaeEN

Gray triggerfish

Balistes capriscus

The peroá of the rocky shores and submerged reefs of the Southeast and South. Listed nationally as Endangered: catch prohibited from October 25, 2026.

Sea
time of yearbest: Oct–Mar
Illustration of American whitespotted filefish
Monacanthidae

American whitespotted filefish

Cantherhines macrocerus

Filefish of reefs and rocky bottoms with many white spots, from Florida to São Paulo. It lives in pairs and has no interest for sport fishing.

Sea
Illustration of Whitespotted filefish
Monacanthidae

Whitespotted filefish

Cantherhines dumerilii

Filefish of coral reefs far from the coast and oceanic islands of the eastern Pacific, which feeds on coral tips, algae and sponges. It is rarely caught on rod and is also collected for aquariums.

Sea