elongate grunt
Haemulopsis elongatus
Grunt of sand and mud bottoms of the eastern Pacific, of no interest to fishing. It lives in coastal waters from Mexico to Panama.
Also called: roncador-alongado, ronco alargado, pargo bejuco, elongate grunt
- maximum
- 30 cm
who is the elongate grunt
The elongate grunt belongs to the family Haemulidae, the grunts. It reaches 30 cm, and the common size is 15 cm. It lives in the eastern Pacific, from Mazatlán, in Mexico, to Panama, on sand or mud bottoms in coastal waters. It has a sturdy, slightly compressed and low body, with a very small, terminal mouth, whose rear edge lies in front of the eye. The body is dull gray, with a paler belly. It is of no interest to fishing.
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 elongate grunt; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Sturdy body, slightly compressed and low, with a paler belly than back. The body is dull gray, and the mouth is very small and terminal. The armpit of the pectoral fins and the upper edge of the gill cover are black, the most useful mark for recognizing it. It can be confused with Haemulopsis axillaris, of the same genus and the same region, which has longitudinal stripes and five or six dark vertical bars on the body.
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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
Occurs in the eastern Pacific, from Mazatlán, in Mexico, to Panama, in coastal waters.
Habitat: Sand or mud bottoms of coastal waters.
rules for the elongate 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.
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 danger to anglers. If released, return it to the water carefully.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01514, b = 2.93; 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: Haemulopsis elongatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Haemulopsis elongatusNames by country and language.
