flathead porgy
Calamus mu
Porgy endemic to southeastern Brazil, with a flattened head and important as food, reaching 26.5 cm.
Also called: peixe-pena-cabeça-chata, cabeça-chata, flathead porgy
- maximum
- 26 cm
who is the flathead porgy
The flat-headed porgy belongs to the family Sparidae, has a compressed body and reaches 26.5 cm. It is endemic to southeastern Brazil, where it lives close to the bottom. It belongs to the genus Calamus, the same as the porgy, which also lives on the Brazilian coast, and is a relative of the seabreams and marimbas. Its common name comes from its flat head. It is an important food fish and is commercially fished. It occurs only in Brazil.
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 flathead porgy; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
A flattened head, which gives the species its name, on a compressed-bodied fish typical of the genus Calamus. It reaches 26.5 cm. It belongs to the same genus as the porgy (Calamus pennatula), which lives on deep reefs in the Northeast of Brazil, but this species lives only in the southeast of Brazil, which helps tell them apart by region.
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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
Endemic to Brazil, occurring only in the southeast of the country.
Habitat: Close to the bottom, in southeastern Brazil.
coast
rules for the flathead porgy
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.
Not dangerous to anglers. Release small specimens carefully and do not leave them out of the water for long.
in the kitchen
It is an important food fish.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01259, b = 3.03; 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: Calamus mu (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Calamus muNames 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.
