tomtate grunt
Haemulon aurolineatum
Silvery fish of the grunt family, with a yellow stripe from the eye to the dark spot on the tail. It forms schools over reefs and seagrass beds and shows up incidentally in fishing.
Also called: cotinga, corcoroca, sapuruna, jeniguano, tomtate grunt
- maximum
- 28 cm
- record/max.
- 0.1 kg
- depth
- 30–70 m
who is the tomtate grunt
Fish of the family Haemulidae, reaching 28 cm and weighing up to 85.6 g. It ranges from Massachusetts (USA) and Bermuda to Brazil, through the Gulf of Mexico. It lives on seagrass beds, sand banks and isolated reefs, from 30 to 70 m deep, and forms schools. It feeds on small crustaceans, mollusks and other bottom invertebrates, plankton and algae. In fishing it has little commercial use: it is sold fresh and salted, and is also used as bait. There are reports of ciguatera.
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 tomtate grunt; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Silvery, with a broad yellow stripe in the middle of the body, running from the eye to a large round black spot at the base of the tail. A second, thinner yellow stripe runs along the back, above the lateral line. Among the grunts of the region, the best signs are the stripe from the eye to the tail and the round black spot at the base of the tail.
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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
It lives in the western Atlantic, from the United States and Bermuda to Brazil, through the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean and the coast of Central America and northern South America. In Brazil it ranges from Paraíba to Santa Catarina, with records also from Maranhão.
Habitat: Seagrass beds, sand banks and isolated reefs, 30 to 70 m deep.
coast
rules for the tomtate 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 Brazilian national list (Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA No. 1.667/2026).
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.
No venom or dangerous spines. There are reports of ciguatera in this species, so avoid eating reef fish of doubtful origin.
in the kitchen
Sold fresh and salted. There are reports of ciguatera, so avoid eating reef fish of doubtful origin.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01514, b = 2.98; 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: Haemulon aurolineatum (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Haemulon aurolineatumNames by country and language.
- 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.
