black margate
Anisotremus surinamensis
Tall, dark rocky-shore fish with thick lips. Feeds at night on sea urchins, crabs and mollusks; wary and fierce among the rocks.
Also called: sargo-de-beiço, sargo-beiçudo, beiçudo, pirambu, salema-açu
- common size
- 30–50 cm
- maximum
- 76 cm
- common weight
- 0.6–2.5 kg
- record/max.
- 5.8 kg
- depth
- 1–40 m
- ideal water
- 22–28 °C
who is the black margate
The black margate (burro pompón, sargo-de-beiço) is one of the largest haemulids in the western Atlantic, over 70 cm. It lives on reefs, steep rocky shores and wrecks, almost always near burrows, ledges and caves, from Florida to southern Brazil. By day it stays hidden, alone or in small groups; at night it goes out to feed on crustaceans, mollusks, small fish and sea urchins. It is highly sought after in rocky-shore fishing and spearfishing, and cuts line on rocks easily. Its meat is good and sold fresh, but FishBase records ciguatera cases linked to the species in other regions.
fun facts
- Juveniles have two black stripes along the body, which disappear in adults.
- Breaks sea urchins with its teeth to eat them.
identification
Tall, compressed body, dark gray to lead gray, with the front half darker than the back. Thick lips, small mouth. Dark fins, the anal and ventral fins even more so. Juveniles have two black stripes along the body and a black spot at the base of the tail. Differs from the porkfish by its dark color and lack of yellow stripes, and from the sargo-de-dente by the absence of vertical bands.
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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.
where found
From Northeast Brazil to Santa Catarina, on rocky shores, reefs and offshore reefs.
Habitat: Reefs, steep rocky shores, ledges and wrecks, near burrows and caves.
coast
states
Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina
when to fish
best season
In the Southeast and South, best in warm months; in the Northeast, all year.
best time of day
Night and twilight. By day it stays hidden; it comes out to feed in late afternoon and at night.
what affects the black margate
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
cold and cold fronts
Cold water (upwelling) keeps the black margate still in its burrows.
atmospheric pressure
A cold front shuts down activity.
moon
Dark nights encourage it to leave its burrows.
rain
Rain doesn't hurt much; very dirty water does.
water level
Sea with foam pounding the rocky shore helps dislodge food.
noise
Very wary: approach the rocky shore quietly and avoid shadows on the water.
wind
Moderate swell helps; rough sea makes the rocky shore dangerous.
tide
A flood tide covers the rocks and brings the black margate closer.
depth
From 1 to 15 m in rocky-shore fishing.
how to fish
- rod
- 7'0" to 9'0", 15 to 30 lb
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 4000 to 5000
- line
- braid 20 to 30 lb
- leader
- fluorocarbon 30 to 50 lb, 1 m
- hook
- chinu 4 to 8 or reinforced circle 1/0 to 3/0
natural baits
- caranguejo
- broken sea urchin
- shrimp
- marisco
- tatuí (sand crab)
accessories
- minimum sinker for the day's sea
- luvas
- non-slip boots
tip from an angler
As soon as you feel the strike, pull the black margate firmly out of its burrow; if you give it slack, it hides and cuts the line.
rules for the black margate
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 national list (Portaria GM/MMA 1.667/2026). Global assessment with insufficient data. We found no specific federal rule for this species.
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.
Release it quickly at the same spot; if it came from more than 15 m and floats, use a descender.
in the kitchen
White, firm meat, good baked and in steaks. There are ciguatera records in other regions.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.02042, b = 3.01; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana, comprimento total)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.
- scientific FishBase — Anisotremus surinamensis (ficha da espécie)Names, distribution, biology, length-weight relationship and references. Page checked on October 13, 2026.
- 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)Most recent national list. The species is not on it (search by scientific name in the text published in the DOU, checked on October 13, 2026).
- official ICMBio/SALVE — Ficha de Anisotremus surinamensis (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)ICMBio national assessment, published in 2025. DOI checked on Crossref.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Anisotremus surinamensis (avaliação global: Dados Insuficientes, DD, 10/10/2015)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- scientific Carpenter, K. E. (org.) (2002). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Vol. 3: Bony fishes part 2 (Opistognathidae to Molidae). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. Roma: FAO.Haemulidae chapter (Lindeman, K. C.), cited by FishBase for the species.
- scientific Szpilman, M. (2000). Peixes marinhos do Brasil: guia prático de identificação. Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Ecológico Aqualung. 288 p.Printed work; the URL is the bibliographic record on FishBase, which cites this work for the species.
- scientific Menezes, N. A.; Buckup, P. A.; Figueiredo, J. L.; Moura, R. L. (orgs.) (2003). Catálogo das espécies de peixes marinhos do Brasil. São Paulo: Museu de Zoologia da USP. 160 p.List of marine species recorded in Brazil. Printed work; the URL is the bibliographic record in FishBase, which cites this work for the species.
