knobbed porgy
Calamus nodosus
Porgy of hard bottoms in the Gulf of Mexico and Cuba, sought after in sport fishing, which changes sex as it grows.
Also called: peixe-pena-nodoso, majarrón pecoso, pluma botón, knobbed porgy
- maximum
- 54 cm
- record/max.
- 2.6 kg
- depth
- 7–90 m
who is the knobbed porgy
The knobby porgy belongs to the family Sparidae and reaches 54.4 cm, weighing up to 2.6 kg. It lives on hard bottoms, from 7 to 90 m deep, from North Carolina to southern Florida and throughout the Gulf of Mexico. In Latin America it occurs in Mexico and Cuba. It changes sex when it reaches 30 to 50 cm in length. It has low commercial value, is sought after by sport fishing, and is caught in trawl nets and on line.
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 knobbed porgy; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- The change of sex occurs between 30 and 50 cm in length.
identification
Porgy with a compressed body and a spiny dorsal fin, typical of the family. It reaches 54.4 cm, longer than the hunchback porgy and the Gulf porgy, which reach 46 cm. It may be confused with those two, which share the same region, but it is separated from them by the hard bottom where it lives.
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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, on hard bottoms of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.
Habitat: Hard bottoms, 7 to 90 m.
rules for the knobbed 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 (barotrauma). Release it carefully.
in the kitchen
It is a good-quality fish for eating, with low commercial value.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.0166, b = 2.94; 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 nodosus (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 nodosusNames by country and language.
