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fishing forecast

bluestriped grunt

Haemulon sciurus · Haemulidae · predator

Sea

A yellow grunt with fine blue stripes, from shallow reefs and seagrass. It moves in small groups and takes natural bait on the bottom.

Also called: boca-de-fogo, macassa, mibaco, bluestriped grunt, yellow grunt

everything about the bluestriped grunt where found
Scientific illustration of Bluestriped grunt
common size
20–30 cm
maximum
46 cm
common weight
0.1–0.4 kg
record/max.
0.8 kg
depth
0–20 m
ideal water
24–29 °C
location

Sample location: choose yours to see the forecast for where you fish.

period

Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…

the species

everything about the bluestriped grunt

overview

who is the bluestriped grunt

The boca-de-fogo is a brightly colored grunt of the western Atlantic: body and head yellow with fine blue stripes. It lives from 0 to 30 m, usually down to 20 m, in small groups over coral and rock reefs and on reef edges and bottom breaks. Juveniles are abundant in seagrass and also occur in mangroves. It eats crustaceans and bivalves and sometimes small fish. It reaches 46 cm and 0.75 kg; the common size is 25 cm, and the maximum recorded age is 12 years. It is rarely recorded in Brazil, with few specimens in collections from Rio de Janeiro, Bahia and Pará.

fun facts

  • It has several English names: bluestriped grunt, yellow grunt, boar grunt, redmouth grunt and golden grunt.
  • Like other grunts, it makes a sound by grinding its pharyngeal teeth.
  • The maximum age recorded by FishBase is 12 years.
how to recognize it

identification

Head and body yellow, marked lengthwise by narrow blue stripes; the stripe under the eye forms a distinctive arc. Spiny dorsal fin yellow, soft dorsal and tail blackened, anal fin dark yellow. Dorsal fin with 12 spines and 16 to 17 soft rays; anal fin with 3 spines and 9 rays. Scales below the lateral line slightly oblique. It differs from the biquara (Haemulon plumierii) by its bright yellow and by its fine, continuous blue stripes.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

In Brazil there are few collection records, in Pará, Bahia and Rio de Janeiro; FishBase gives the species down to latitude 19°S. Outside Brazil, from Florida to the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, the Caribbean and the Guianas.

Habitat: Coral and rock reefs, bottom breaks and seagrass (juveniles), from 0 to 30 m, usually down to 20 m.

coast

North CoastNortheast CoastSoutheast Coastcoastal

states

Pará, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of year
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

There is no well-documented seasonality; it is fishable all year where it occurs, with more comfortable fishing in warm, calm water.

best time of day

0h6h12h18h sunrise ~6amsunset ~6pm

Night and twilight. It rests in groups near shelter by day and goes out to feed from late afternoon into the night; it also bites by day, but more cautiously.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the bluestriped grunt
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 pushes the groups out of the shallows.

atmospheric pressure

Choppy seas after a front get in the way; the bite returns when it calms down.

moon

Small effect.

rain

Not very relevant at sea; very muddy water gets in the way.

water level

Follows the tide over the flat rock and the reef.

noise

Small groups are wary of shadow and noise in the shallows.

wind

Rough sea prevents fishing on the reefs.

tide

Moderate current during the tide change makes the fish more active.

depth

Usually down to 20 m.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Rocky shoreNatural bait on the bottomBottom fishing from a boat
rod
6'0" to 7'0", 8 to 20 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel
spinning reel 2500 to 3500
line
braided line 10 to 20 lb
leader
fluorocarbon 20 to 30 lb, 1 m
hook
chinu 2 to 5 or circle 1/0

lures

  • small jig, 10 to 30 g

natural baits

  • shrimp
  • small crab
  • marisco
  • squid strip

accessories

  • sinker of 20 to 60 g
  • landing net

tip from an angler

Small natural bait close to the bottom, on the reef edge, in the late afternoon.

what the law says

rules for the bluestriped 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 (Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026). We found no specific Brazilian federal rule for the species.

Mexico: up to 10 marine fish per angler per day, no more than 5 of the same species

10 marine specimens per angler per day; no more than 5 of the same species

In Mexico's federal waters, sport and recreational fishing for marine species has a limit of 10 specimens per angler per day, with no more than 5 of any one species. Fish over the limit may only be taken if released alive. Sport-caught fish belong to the permit holder and may not be sold; fish may not be landed as fillets (they may only be filleted on board for consumption during the trip). For spearfishing the limit is 5 fish per day. Fishing from a boat requires a permit.

Source: Amendment to NOM-017-PESC-1994 (recreational sport fishing in federal waters of Mexico), signed Oct 14, 2013 and published in the DOF on Nov 25, 2013, items 4.9.1, 4.9.4, 4.9.5, 4.11 and 4.12 (Sagarpa/Conapesca)

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; if it came from more than 15 m and floats, use a descender. Watch the dorsal spines.

in the kitchen

Edible, sold fresh on a small scale. FishBase records ciguatera cases: on the Caribbean, be wary of large reef specimens and ask local fishers.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01549, b = 2.97; 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

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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Haemulon sciurus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology and IUCN status. Page checked Oct 13, 2026. The common weight was calculated from the length-weight relationship.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Haemulon sciurusNames by country and language. FishBase gives 'boca-de-fogo', 'macassa' and 'mibaco' as Portuguese names for the species.
  3. 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.
  4. scientific IUCN Red List: Haemulon sciurus (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 10/10/2015)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
  5. scientific GBIF: registros de Haemulon sciurus no BrasilChecked Oct 13, 2026 in GBIF's open database (country = Brazil). Records come from collections and observations and show where the species has been seen, not how abundant it is. There are only 12 records in Brazil (Rio de Janeiro, Bahia and Pará): the species is uncommon here.
  6. 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.Reference identification guide for the western Atlantic (Haemulidae chapter).
  7. official Code of Federal Regulations, 50 CFR Part 622, Subpart S: Porto Rico (NOAA Fisheries, EUA)Consolidated text in the eCFR, checked Oct 13, 2026. Among the grunts, the federal rule's reef fish table lists only Haemulon plumierii; Haemulon sciurus is not on it, so Puerto Rico's federal limits do not apply to the species.
  8. official Modificação da NOM-017-PESC-1994, para regular a pesca deportivo-recreativa nas águas de jurisdição federal do México (DOF, 25/11/2013)Text read in the DOF: items 4.2 to 4.12 (quotas, underwater fishing, sales and fillets).
don't confuse

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