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Illustration of Slippery dick
fishing forecast

slippery dick

Halichoeres bivittatus · full profile

location

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period

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the species

everything about the slippery dick

how to recognize it

It has two very distinct dark stripes. The upper one runs from the snout, past the eye, to the base of the tail, and the lower one is fainter, on the underside of the body. A two-colored spot sits on the edge of the gill cover, inside the upper stripe. Large adult males are green on the back and yellowish green on the flanks, with the two stripes in a purplish tone. The head and tail have irregular pale red bands.

Also called: bodião-de-duas-listras, doncella rayada, doncella verde, slippery dick

don't confuse with:

We don't have tips on season, bait or technique for this species yet.

Where to look: Rocky and coral reefs, in shallow waters of 1 to 15 m.

Western Atlantic, from North Carolina and Bermuda to Brazil, throughout the Caribbean. In Brazil there are records from Maranhão to Rio de Janeiro.

coast

North CoastNortheast CoastSoutheast Coastcoastal

rules for the slippery dick

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.

Conservation: Not on the Brazilian national list (Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA No. 1.667/2026).

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

estimated weight

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how we calculate

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00933, b = 3.07; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

more about the slippery dick

Wrasse of the family Labridae, reaching 35 cm and weighing up to 146 g. It occurs in the western Atlantic, from North Carolina and Bermuda to Brazil, and throughout the Caribbean. It lives on rocky and coral reefs, in shallow waters of 1 to 15 m, and is less common in seagrass beds. It feeds on other fish and snails. During breeding, it forms courtship groups. In fishing, it has commercial use and is also used for aquariums.

Family: Labridae · predator

similar species

sources and references (3)

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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Halichoeres bivittatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Halichoeres bivittatusNames by country and language.
  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.