armed grunt
Conodon serrifer
Grunt of the eastern Pacific soft bottoms, with a strong spine on the edge of the cheek. It is sold fresh in markets and has commercial interest.
Also called: roncador-armado, ronco ofensivo, bravo aliamarillo, armed grunt
- maximum
- 34 cm
- depth
- 10–60 m
who is the armed grunt
The armed grunt belongs to the family Haemulidae, the grunts. It reaches 34 cm, and the common size is 25 cm. It lives in the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Peru, in coastal waters from 10 to 60 m deep. Adults stay on soft bottoms. It has an elongated, compressed body, with a small, terminal mouth and fleshy lips. The edge of the preopercle is serrated and ends in a large, strong spine. It is of interest to commercial fishing, which catches it with gillnets.
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 armed grunt; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Elongated, compressed body, with a small, terminal mouth and fleshy lips. The back is charcoal gray with bluish reflections, the belly is pale, and the flanks have seven or eight narrow, faint dark bands. The fins are dark yellowish green. The strongest mark for recognizing it is the large, sturdy spine at the angle of the preopercle. It can be confused with Genyatremus pacifici, which has a gray body with irregular transverse bands and black fins.
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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 the Gulf of California to Peru, on coastal soft bottoms.
Habitat: Soft bottoms of coastal waters, from 10 to 60 m.
rules for the armed 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.
The strong spine on the edge of the cheek can injure your fingers. Hold the fish with a cloth or glove and remove the hook carefully.
in the kitchen
Sold fresh in markets.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01349, b = 2.89; 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: Conodon serrifer (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Conodon serriferNames by country and language.
