wavyline grunt
Microlepidotus inornatus
Reef grunt of the Mexican Pacific, which forms schools by day and is sold fresh. It is commercially fished.
Also called: roncador-de-linhas-onduladas, ronco rayadillo, ronco jopatón, wavyline grunt
- maximum
- 45 cm
who is the wavyline grunt
The wavy-lined grunt belongs to the family Haemulidae, the grunts. It reaches 45 cm and lives in the Mexican Pacific, from Baja California to Mazatlán, with a few individuals reaching southern California, in the United States. It stays on coastal reefs and forms large schools near reef edges by day. At dusk it moves away from the coast and splits into smaller schools to feed on mollusks and crustaceans. The species is 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 wavyline grunt; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Fusiform body, of the usual shape for grunts. It lives in schools that move along reef edges by day and move away from the coast at night. It can be confused with Microlepidotus brevipinnis, of the same genus and coast, which has a blue-grey body with pearly dots on each scale and yellowish fins. It also resembles Haemulon scudderii, silvery grey with dark dots 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
Found in the eastern Pacific, from Baja California to Mazatlán, Mexico, with few records in southern California.
Habitat: Coastal reefs, with schools that move away from the shore at night.
when to fish
best time of day
Nighttime. By day it stays in large schools along reef edges; at dusk it moves away from the coast and splits into smaller schools to feed.
rules for the wavyline 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.
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 = 0.01096, b = 2.95; 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: Microlepidotus inornatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Microlepidotus inornatusNames by country and language.
