cottonwick grunt
Haemulon melanurum
Silvery fish of the grunt family, with a large black area on the back and tail. Lives on reefs and is caught incidentally in fishing, with little commercial use.
Also called: sapuruna-preta, sapuruna, sapurana-de-lista, mapurite, cottonwick grunt
- maximum
- 33 cm
- record/max.
- 0.6 kg
- depth
- 3–50 m
who is the cottonwick grunt
Fish of the family Haemulidae, reaching 33 cm and weighing up to 550 g. It occurs in the western Atlantic, from Bermuda, southeastern Florida and the Bahamas to Brazil. It lives on coastal and open-sea reefs and nearby seagrass banks, in clear waters, 3 to 50 m deep. It forms schools and feeds on crustaceans. In fishing it has little commercial use: it is sold fresh, and there are reports of ciguatera.
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 cottonwick grunt; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Silvery, with a broad black area starting at the base of the dorsal fin and running along the back, the upper part of the tail stalk and both lobes of the tail. It has thin yellow stripes, the widest one in the middle of the body. The black patch on the back and tail is the easiest sign to recognize. The body is short and tall.
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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
Western Atlantic, from Bermuda and southeastern Florida to Brazil, through the Bahamas and the Caribbean. In Brazil, there are records from Maranhão to Pernambuco.
Habitat: Coastal and open-sea reefs and nearby seagrass banks, 3 to 50 m deep.
coast
rules for the cottonwick 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.
Conservation: Not on the Brazilian national list (Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA No. 1.667/2026).
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 dangerous spines or venom. There are reports of ciguatera in this species, so avoid eating reef fish of doubtful origin.
in the kitchen
Sold fresh. There are reports of ciguatera, so avoid eating reef fish of doubtful origin.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01738, 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 melanurum (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 melanurumNames by country and language.
- official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.
