pacific mutton hamlet
Alphestes immaculatus
Small, camouflaged grouper of seagrass beds and shallow reefs in the eastern Pacific. It hunts crustaceans at night and has no interest for anglers.
Also called: garoupinha-do-pacífico, garoupinha, guaseta, Pacific mutton hamlet
- maximum
- 30 cm
- depth
- 1–50 m
who is the pacific mutton hamlet
The Pacific coral grouper belongs to the family Epinephelidae and reaches 30 cm. It lives in shallow areas of the eastern Pacific, from the northern Gulf of California to Peru, including the Galapagos Islands, on rocky reefs and seagrass beds, down to 50 m. It is a discreet species: by day it hides in crevices or among algae, and sometimes covers itself with sand. At night it eats crustaceans from the bottom. It has no interest for anglers.
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 mutton hamlet; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- It relies on camouflage to avoid being noticed and sometimes partly covers itself with sand.
identification
Marbled reddish-brown body, with faint bars and small dark and pale spots on the head, body and fins. The pectoral fins have small dark spots in cross bands. Body depth is equal to or less than head length, and a large spine covered in skin projects from the corner of the preopercle. Compare with the striped small grouper (Alphestes multiguttatus), which has smooth scales and an eye slightly larger than the snout. This one has an eye almost the same size as the snout.
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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
Lives in the eastern Pacific, from the northern Gulf of California to Peru, including the Galapagos Islands.
Habitat: Seagrass beds and shallow rocky reefs, from 1 to 50 m.
when to fish
best time of day
Nighttime. It is nocturnal: it spends the day hidden in crevices or among algae and goes out to hunt at night.
rules for the pacific mutton hamlet
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 is small, it can be released without problems.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01122, b = 3.04; 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: Alphestes immaculatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Alphestes immaculatusNames by country and language.
