humpback grunt
Microlepidotus brevipinnis
Blue-grey grunt of coastal waters in the eastern Pacific, which mainly appears as bycatch in nets.
Also called: roncador-perolado, ronco bronceado, ronco rayadillo, humpback grunt
- maximum
- 40 cm
who is the humpback grunt
The pearly grunt belongs to the family Haemulidae, the grunts. It reaches 40 cm, and its common size is 30 cm. It lives in coastal waters of the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Panama, with a record also from Ecuador, between the bottom and midwater. It forms schools over the coastal sea and mainly appears as bycatch in nets. The body is elongated and compressed, with a small, terminal mouth. Because it is caught together with other species, it is of little importance to 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 humpback grunt; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Elongated, compressed body, with a small, terminal mouth. The color is blue-grey, and each scale has a grey pearly dot, forming lines that follow the rows of scales. The fins are yellowish. It can be confused with Orthopristis chalcea, which also has golden lines on the flanks, but its lines are wavy and gold or copper colored. Xenichthys xanti, from the same coast, has golden stripes and very large eyes.
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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 the Gulf of California to Panama, in coastal waters, with a record also from Ecuador.
Habitat: Coastal waters, between the bottom and midwater, in schools.
rules for the humpback 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 = 0.0166, b = 3.02; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). 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 brevipinnis (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 brevipinnisNames by country and language.
