spotted head sargo
Genyatremus dovii
Sargo of hard bottoms on the continental shelf of the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Peru. Sold fresh in markets.
Also called: sargo-cabeça-manchada, sargo, burro rompepaila, spotted head sargo
- maximum
- 45 cm
who is the spotted head sargo
The spotted-head sargo belongs to the family Haemulidae and reaches 45 cm, with a common size of 35 cm. It lives over hard bottoms of the eastern Pacific continental shelf, from southern Gulf of California to Peru. It is a benthic species, tied to hard bottom surfaces. It has a deep, compressed body, deeper than that of the hoarse grunt, and is commercially fished. Adults form well-defined pairs during the breeding season. It is sold fresh in markets.
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 spotted head sargo; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- During the breeding season, the pair stays together, forming well-defined pairs.
identification
Deep, compressed body, with a brown back and silvery belly. It has dark vertical bars on the flanks and dark fins. Small mouth with thick, fleshy lips, and pectoral fins shorter than the head that do not reach the origin of the anal fin. Compare it with the hoarse grunt (Haemulopsis leuciscus), which has a less compressed and less deep body.
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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
Lives in the eastern Pacific, from southern Gulf of California to Peru.
Habitat: Hard bottoms of the continental shelf.
rules for the spotted head sargo
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 it comes from deeper bottom, it can suffer barotrauma: release it 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 = 0.01905, b = 2.95; 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: Genyatremus dovii (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Genyatremus doviiNames by country and language.
