greybar grunt
Haemulon sexfasciatum
Grunt of shallow reefs of the eastern Pacific, recognizable by the dark bars on its yellowish body. It has small-scale commercial fishing and little sport value.
Also called: roncador-barrado, burro almejero, rompe paila, greybar grunt
- maximum
- 71 cm
- record/max.
- 2.3 kg
- depth
- 10–12 m
who is the greybar grunt
The barred grunt belongs to the family Haemulidae, the grunts. It reaches 71 cm and usually measures 30 cm. It lives on shallow coastal reefs, from 3 to 30 m deep, most commonly between 10 and 12 m. It occurs in the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Panama. By day it forms schools over the reefs, and at night it spreads out to feed, digging in the sand. It is commercially fished on a small scale, with little interest for sport 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 greybar grunt; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Oblong, compressed and shallow-bodied, with a large, terminal mouth. Adults have six or seven dark gray vertical bars on a yellowish background and a dark spot behind the eye. The young have three vertical bars and a spot at the base of the tail, which fades with age. Among the Haemulon of the same coast, it is the one with vertical bars: the Haemulon maculicauda is dark brown with pearly blue spots on each scale, and the Haemulon scudderii is silvery gray with dark spots on the scales.
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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 Panama, on coastal reefs, with a record also in Ecuador.
Habitat: Shallow coastal reefs, 3 to 30 m deep.
when to fish
best time of day
Nighttime. By day it forms schools over coastal reefs; at night it spreads out to search for food, often digging in the sand.
rules for the greybar 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 = 0.0257, b = 3.0; 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: Haemulon sexfasciatum (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Haemulon sexfasciatumNames by country and language.
