whitebone porgy
Calamus leucosteus
Porgy of sand and mud bottoms in the Gulf of Mexico and Cuba, sought after in sport fishing, which changes sex as it grows.
Also called: peixe-pena-do-golfo, pluma golfina, whitebone porgy
- maximum
- 46 cm
- depth
- 10–100 m
who is the whitebone porgy
The Gulf porgy belongs to the family Sparidae and reaches 46 cm. It lives mainly on sedimentary bottoms of sand and mud, between 10 and 100 m deep. In North America it ranges from North Carolina to southern Florida and the entire Gulf of Mexico. In Latin America it occurs in Mexico and Cuba. It changes sex, from female to male, mainly when it measures 18 to 25 cm. It is sought after by sport fishing and is also commercially fished.
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 whitebone porgy; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- It begins life as a female and turns into a male as it grows, mainly between 18 and 25 cm.
identification
Porgy with a compressed body and a spiny dorsal fin, like the other members of the genus Calamus. It lives on sand and mud bottoms, at depths of 10 to 100 m. It may be confused with the hunchback porgy and the knobby porgy, which also occur in the Gulf. The sand and mud bottoms help separate it, and its 46 cm size is smaller than that of the knobby porgy, which reaches 54.4 cm.
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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
In Latin America it occurs in Mexico and Cuba, in the Gulf of Mexico and the western Caribbean.
Habitat: Sand and mud bottoms, 10 to 100 m.
rules for the whitebone 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.
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. Since it is a bottom fish, it suffers the pressure change when brought up from deep water (barotrauma). Release it carefully.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.03236, 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: Calamus leucosteus (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 leucosteusNames by country and language.
